Heart of Lordship
by VideoGameMaster1478
Summary: The battle with Woundwort is over, and there is finally peace on Watership Down, or is there? Fiver has revived Silverweed, and a new enemy warren has been discovered, their general is far more perilous than Woundwort. The battle for peace is not yet done. Can Watership Down defeat this new enemy warren, or will they fall in defeat? Editor: Sauron Gorthaur
1. The Revival

Chapter 1: The Revival

**A/N: The reason why this story is called Heart of Lordship is because of this thinking knowledge: just when you think it's over, think again. This is my first ever fanfiction, a continuation of the Watership Down TV series. I do not own Watership Down or the Watership Down TV series, and I respect Richard Adam's copyrights. Enjoy this fanfiction. **

It was a beautiful, sunny day on the high hills of Watership Down. The birds were chirping, wind blowing, and the sun shining to its maximum. A couple days after Woundwort and his Darkhaven minions were swept away to the Shadowlands, we find Fiver sleeping on the soft grass still. Hazel was concerned because he never had slept that long before.

_Fiver was imagining himself hopping through a forest. He must have hopped thousands of miles, and then he found a garden full of delicious flayrah. There was flayrah everywhere he looked, and then he just jumped into the ground, eating and eating lettuce and carrots. He was drowning in flayrah, and he was gobbling on the delicious carrots._

_"Oh Frith! Thank you for taking me to this wonderful place! I will never leave this place again!" Fiver said happily. Fiver then saw Hazel and the rest of his friends coming toward him._

_"Good find, brother! I knew your fierce warrior skills would help!" Hazel said as he nuzzled his brother, then the rest of Fiver's friends started eating flayrah. They finished eating after a few minutes. They all huddled in a circle and just talked about their futures in Watership Down. _

_Then the dreadful, scary part kicked in. Eight rabbits hopped toward the group, armed with very long claws._

_"Well, look what the cat dragged in," one of them said, a vicious smile on his face as he sharpened his claws. Fiver and the others were scared at this, backing away several steps, crouching down._

_"Who are you? What do you want?" Hazel asked as Bigwig growled, ready to pounce and attack the mysterious visitors. Fiver remembered one of the rabbits, but he could not put his paw on it._

_"I don't answer those questions, shut up! KILL THEM ALL EXCEPT THAT ONE. I'LL KILL HIM MYSELF!" the rabbit said. He appeared to be the leader, judging by his large size and a mark on his head. He pointed to Fiver, indicating he wanted to deal with Fiver personally. Then the two groups clashed, both clawing and killing each other. Hazel and his friends were killed. Fiver was now all alone with the enemies._

_"Nooooooooo! Hazel!" Fiver cried as he fell to the ground on his haunches. The enemy rabbit then came up to him._

_"Tell me where your warren is and you shall not suffer," the leader said seriously, raising his sharp claws to kill the young seer. Fiver then bolted off, running the opposite direction, with the rabbits behind him. After a few minutes of running, Fiver ran into a fence. He scrabbled at it a few seconds but could not climb it. He was cornered by the enemies._

_"I said, tell me where your warren is, but I already know." the leader said with a dirty smile as a few more rabbits came up, and then they all swiped their long, razor-sharp claws at Fiver, causing blood to ooze out of his neck._

Fiver woke up screaming and breathing heavily. He saw his brother Hazel and Bigwig running up.

"Fiver! What's wrong? What happened?" Hazel questioned as Fiver stood up on his haunches, Bigwig helping him up.

"Yea, Fiver, what happened? We could hear you screaming all the way from outside," Bigwig grumbled, irritated.

"I had the worst dream anyone could ever have in their lifetime," Fiver answered, about to cry. A cold tear slid down his face.

"What was that dream?" Hazel asked solicitously.

"OK, so I was walking in a forest for hrair miles, and I came across a huge garden with plentiful flayrah. I was enjoying the time of my life when you and the rest of us got to the garden, eating flayrah for hours. We then all sat in a circle and started talking." Fiver paused, trying to remember what happened in the dream.

"Alright, go on," Hazel said to Fiver, curious as to what the horror was. Bigwig got concerned as well.

"Then hrair elil came up to us. You and the group clashed, fighting, but you failed, and I was the only one left. The leader and his friend wanted to deal with me personally. The leader's friend looked so familiar, but I could not remember what his name was," Fiver continued as more tears fell down his face, the tears becoming hotter every minute, the saltiness were increasing.

"What did he do to you?" Hazel and Bigwig asked in unison, their eye brows going up questioningly.

"He then wanted me to tell the location of Watership Down, but I refused and bolted away. They caught me though, and then three of the elil swiped their claws across my face and neck, and that was it." Fiver answered. He then lunged for Hazel and buried his head into his chest and just cried.

"Its all right, Brother. At least it was just a dream," Hazel reassured Fiver, nuzzling his ear comfortingly. Afterwards, Hazel and Bigwig had some other matters to take care of: the celebration of Woundwort's defeat. Before they started to head to the Honeycomb, they wanted to follow Fiver for a bit to see why he'd been acting a bit strange lately.

"Alright, Bigwig. We will follow him and stay out of his sight. I'm getting Primrose and Blackberry: they've got to see if we find anything strange, alright?" Hazel ordered Bigwig as he was about to get Primrose and Blackberry.

"Alright, Hazel," Bigwig said as he waited for Hazel to come back with Primrose and Blackberry. Then they started trailing Fiver.

It was strange indeed. After trailing him for a few minutes, they discovered Fiver near Silverweed's grave. He crouched down and prayed for a few minutes.

"What is he doing?" Blackberry asked, turning her head to one side.

"Maybe he's doing his daily ritual for Silverweed, spending time with him?" Hazel asked, confused as well.

"Now that sounds ridiculous, Hazel," Bigwig said arrogantly though he was also confused. He scratched his mane as if trying to find the correct answer.

"Maybe he's just trying to reach Silverweed by visiting his grave, using his mind to link with Silverweed's, and then seeing what Silverweed sees in the afterlife," Primrose replied, appearing relaxed and peaceful, looking down on the soft grass, feeling her answer was right. But then things got stranger. Fiver started digging at the area where Silverweed's body was.

"What in dear Frith is he doing now?" Hazel whispered loudly as his mouth dropped in pure shock.

"I don't know! He might be going insane!" Primrose and Blackberry both said in unison.

"Wait a minute, look! He's... he's... he's using magic! Look!" Bigwig whispered loudly. Everyone twitched in shock. They never knew Fiver had the power of magic. Sure enough, Bigwig was right. After Fiver was done digging, he lifted Silverweed's body out of the earth and then started chanting magic words. They could faintly hear what Fiver was chanting:

"I call upon you Frith today

To make the darkness go away!

I give to you my greatest offering

Will you revive my friend and accept this proffering!" Fiver cried as he set down a golden carrot that he found in a bush next to the grave. The golden carrot shimmered for a second and was suddenly replaced by what looked like a heart.

"What in dear Frith is that?" Bigwig said as his jaw dropped in awe.

"It must be Silverweed's heart. By Fiver giving Frith the offering, that golden carrot, in exchange for his heart, Fiver is trying to revive him," Blackberry answered, examining the exchange from far away.

"Fiver is trying to revive our friend?" Hazel asked, shocked.

"You are right, the world's greatest offering for another life," Blackberry replied, then they focused back on Fiver. Fiver was holding the heart in the air, light shining on it. Then Fiver inserted the heart into Silverweed, as light shone on the dead rabbit's body. Then the light disappeared, and Silverweed woke up. Hazel and the group started to get closer to Fiver without being in his sight.

"What happened?" Silverweed spoke as he coughed a bit, and then he stood upright. Silverweed was in his youth, like he was when Fiver met him.

"Silverweed, you're alive!" Fiver cried as he then nuzzled Silverweed.

"Yes, I am," Silverweed said happily as a tear fell down his face as he nuzzled Fiver back. He was smiling, glad to be alive once more. After a few minutes, they hopped back from each other.

Then Hazel accidentally revealed his presence by stepping on a branch, which made a crack loud enough that Fiver heard. Fiver turned around and saw Hazel and his friends.

"What are you guys doing here?" Fiver asked.

"We were spying on you. We wanted to know why you were acting all strange lately," Hazel replied, a bit embarrassed that Fiver had caught them.

"You do know I knew you were spying on me, don't you?" Fiver asked, making Hazel even more embarrassed.

"How did you know?" Hazel asked, a bit confused.

"I have ears like a hawk and eyes like a tiger," Fiver replied.

Then Hazel and the group noticed Silverweed beside Fiver. Everyone got immediately excited and everyone but Fiver nuzzled Silverweed, glad that he was back again.

"It's good to have you back, Silverweed," Hazel and Bigwig said happily, their ears perked up.

"I'm glad to be back as well," Silverweed replied, they huddled together for a while, and then all of them left to be on their way to the Honeycomb, eager to share to the others that Silverweed was alive.

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**A/N: Please review, I would greatly appreciate any reviews. I don't mind if it's a bad review or not, it's just a way to improve the revising and editing process of any story. Don't be scared to leave criticism or non-criticism. Feel free to send me ideas for upcoming chapters.**

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**_Next time on Heart Of Lordship:_  
**

"It does feel good," Fiver said happily as he devoured his carrot, which made both of them laugh. After a few minutes of eating, they talked about their speech. After a few minutes of that, they were wanting to go back to the Honeycomb. Fiver started running to the Honeycomb, with Silverweed behind him. Fiver then tripped on a log and fell down the hill, rolling and screaming as he went tumbling down the hill.

"Fiver!" Silverweed bellowed, concerned for his friend. Then things took a turn for the worst. Fiver got to the bottom of the hill, only to land on hedgehogs.

"OUCHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHH!" Fiver screamed as he landed on the spiky hedgehogs.


	2. Surprises

Chapter 2: Surprises

After Fiver and the rest got back to the Honeycomb to share the good news about Silverweed's revival, everyone else was excited to hear that news, but at first they weren't. When they arrived, everyone turned their faces around and saw Silverweed, they gasped in shock.

"Silverweed! You're alive? I thought you were dead!" Everyone cried in unison. Hawkbit and Dandelion were a few feet from Silverweed, Hawkbit dropped a piece of carrot he was eating and slowly backed away.

"Stay away from me! This can't be!" Hawkbit cried as he was still backing away. Hazel got on the high rock and called everyone's attention.

"Everyone, it's alright! This is real, Silverweed has been revived by Fiver!" Hazel cried, everyone taking a deep breath and then calmed down. Silverweed then got up on the high rock and spoke.

"Everyone, I am alive! Fiver has given me a chance to live my life once more!" Silverweed cried out, everyone then started to cheer. After a few more minutes of this, everyone continued with their activities.

Hazel and the others were busy planning the celebration party, as Fiver and Silverweed talked in Fiver's burrow.

"Does it feel great to be back in your youth and still have your power to see the future?" Fiver asked happily, his ears perked up.

"It does feel great; I like it here even more being back with you and all of my friends," Silverweed answered, stretching out his long back legs comfortably.

"Do you feel lonely that we don't have a mate yet and everyone around us does?" Fiver asked, looking at Silverweed as he waited for an answer.

"A little bit, yes," Silverweed replied, looking at the dirt, placing his paw on his side.

"Maybe we should talk to Hazel or someone about it?" Fiver suggested, placing his paw on Silverweed's back and rubbing the soft fur.

"I think that would help, but who?" Silverweed asked.

"Not Bigwig, because he's not in love yet, but he will be soon. Probably Hazel, Blackberry, or Primrose," Fiver chuckled. Silverweed laughed at what Fiver said about Bigwig, then he responded.

"Probably the does, they know a lot about other does," Silverweed said, Fiver nodded a yes and then they got up and left the burrow. They went to the room with the high rock to talk to Hazel about the upcoming celebration. Hazel was found digging words into the dirt: after he was done, it said: Celebrate Watership Down's Victory!

"How is planning going so far?" Fiver asked.

"Very good, we are almost done actually. We got the flayrah set up, decorations made, and we also have something special for you two," Hazel said happily as he set down a big, juicy carrot on a dirt table in the center of the meeting room.

"What is the special thing?" both Silverweed and Fiver asked in unison, curious as to what they were going to do.

"You both have a speech to present over the defeat of Woundwort and the long lasting peace ahead of us," Hazel replied delightedly, looking down at the two friends. Then he focused on setting up more decorations. After Hazel said this, Fiver and Silverweed thumped their feet in excitement against the dirt, immediately wanting to talk to each other about their speeches.

"Hazel, I'm going outside to silflay - Silverweed do you want to silflay with me?" Fiver said, then he waited for Hazel to nod and Silverweed to answer.

"I'll come. I haven't had some food in a while," Silverweed said as Hazel nodded, and then they went outside of the Honeycomb. They hopped a ways before they stopped in a forest on top of the hill. They found two carrots waiting to be eaten on the soft grass, and they immediately ran over to the carrots and started eating.

"Feels good to have your first flayrah in years," Silverweed said as he crunched through his carrot.

"It does feel good," Fiver said happily as he devoured his carrot, which made both of them laugh. After a few minutes of eating, they talked about their speech. After a few minutes of that, they were wanting to go back to the Honeycomb. Fiver started running to the Honeycomb, with Silverweed behind him. Fiver then tripped on a log and fell down the hill, rolling and screaming as he went tumbling down the hill.

"Fiver!" Silverweed bellowed, concerned for his friend. Then things took a turn. Fiver got to the bottom of the hill, only to land on four hedgehogs.

"OUCHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHH!" Fiver screamed as he landed on the spiky hedgehogs.

"Don't worry, Fiver, I'm coming!" Silverweed cried as he ran down the hill to assist Fiver. Fiver was injured pretty badly, with numerous puncture wounds from the spikes. He had a few on his head and ears. Very concern, started to drag Fiver up the hill back to the Honeycomb. When they got back, Hazel was the first to arrive. As if on cue, he sprinted up to Fiver.

"Oh Frith, Fiver! What in Frith's name happened to you?" Hazel cried in sheer horror when he saw Fiver's injuries. Blackberry crouched behind him, examining Fiver's body.

"I tripped over a log and fell down the hill, then landed on four hedgehogs..." Fiver admitted, his teeth clenched in pain. Hazel and Blackberry dragged Fiver to his private burrow, where they could take care of his injuries without attracting the attention of all the other rabbits. They laid Fiver down carefully so the wounds wouldn't scrape against the dirt. Blackberry then began to press healing herbs on the punctures, which made Fiver yelp in pain. Hazel, Silverweed, Bigwig, and Primrose had to hold Fiver down by his legs so he wouldn't struggle. After a few hours, all the wounds had been tended to, and Hazel asked Blackberry and the does to just talk to Fiver and make sure he is doing fine. Hazel and the group left, then the does and Fiver were all alone.

"Are there any issues you are having problems with?" Blackberry asked.

"Only one," Fiver replied, still in pain. Blackberry's ears went up in curiosity.

"What would that problem be?" Blackberry asked.

"I just feel lonely that I don't have a mate yet. Silverweed has the same problem as well," Fiver answered, looking up at Blackberry.

"I can see that clearly", Spartina and Primrose said in unison, laughing a bit.

"Why haven't you said anything to your brother?" Blackberry asked, a bit confused on why he wouldn't take the easy way out.

"I was afraid to talk to him," Fiver replied, embarrassed as he looked up at Primrose.

"Why were you afraid?" Primrose asked.

"I don't know why. There's just some part of me that basically is what my brother would say," Fiver replied, looking down at the ground.

"What is that part of you?" Spartina asked, a bit concerned.

"It's just that my runt characteristics would make it a lot harder for me to find a doe, and he would say to me just wait until I'm grown a bit more."

"Anything else?" Blackberry asked, wanting to go deeper into Fiver's mind.

"I just think my visions will be in the way of me having a good relationship with any doe," Fiver said sadly, sighing as a tear trickled down his face. Blackberry wiped the tear away with her paw.

"I'm pretty sure that doe will understand your burdens," Blackberry said.

"So where do I go? Where do I start?" Fiver asked.

"I don't know, maybe your brother might know," Blackberry replied, smiling at Fiver, who smiled back.

"How much longer until the celebration takes place?" Fiver asked as he lifted his head up, about to get on his haunches.

"In four days," Spartina replied, looking down at the dirt, her paw holding the wrist of the other.

"I'm getting a bit tired; I might need to sleep," Fiver yawned, lying down on the soft leaves and looking up.

"Alright, Fiver. Hope you sleep well. You should be fine by tomorrow," the does said as Blackberry patted the top of Fiver's head, and then the does exited the burrow, leaving Fiver alone. Fiver then drifted away to sleep, not dreaming of anything, his mind just blank.

After the does left, they went to share with Hazel what Fiver said to them.

"So... What did he say to you does?" Hazel asked. Blackberry cocked her head to one side and began to speak.

"The only issue he seems to have is not having a mate. Silverweed has the same issue as well," Blackberry answered. Hazel looking a bit surprised.

"That's it?" Hazel asked, twitching his nose.

"Yes, that's it," Blackberry replied, looking back at Hazel.

"I'll talk to him about it later when he wakes up. The party is ready to happen, but there are four days left. Wake Fiver up in a few hours," Hazel ordered as he went up for silflay. Blackberry nodded before he left. Blackberry then started helping Hawkbit and Dandelion dig some more burrows. Bigwig was busy training the Owsla, and Fiver was still sleeping.

Fiver had the same dream again, but this time it was slightly different. He and Silverweed were running, running, and running endlessly and aimlessly away from something. They then reached a large, stone monument. The thing he was running from was there. It was that same rabbit again, and that other rabbit Fiver could not recognize. They had their claws extended, and he and Silverweed were instantly killed by one swipe on the neck. Fiver woke up, screaming and panting. He saw Hazel and the does come in to comfort him.

"Fiver! What's wrong?" Hazel exclaimed as he laid down next to Fiver, holding him.

"Silverweed and I were running endlessly when we encountered a stone monument. The same rabbits killed us again," Fiver replied as he nuzzled Hazel. They huddled by each other for a while before Hazel moved back.

"So... I heard you have a doe problem?" Hazel asked, diving right into business with Fiver's issue.

"How did you know? Did the does tell you?" Fiver asked, shocked that Hazel had read his mind. Hazel nodded, which infuriated Fiver, but he held it in.

"But where do I go to find a mate?" Fiver asked.

"Holly and Strawberry know a lot of warrens we haven't been to, so they can help you and Silverweed. He and you will leave with them after the celebration is over. I expect both of you to come back with a mate in no more than three days, I guarantee it," Hazel replied, smiling at Fiver. Fiver smiled back, his ears perked up. And then the does sat and talked for a bit before Fiver got up and went silflaying, limping a little on his wounded legs. The does were talking about Spartina for a few seconds.

"How is it going between you and Bigwig, Spartina?" Blackberry asked, hoping for a positive answer.

"Slow, actually. It's just that we haven't been connecting for a while." Spartina replied sadly, looking down at the dirt.

"Don't worry, Spartina. Things will pick up quite fast. I bet you Bigwig has planned something," Primrose said, smiling at Spartina, who smiled back. Then they went up to silflay, enjoying their second day of freedom. After silflaying, Hazel told Holly and Strawberry to go with Fiver and Silverweed, and they both agreed. The pieces were falling into place, just like Hazel wanted: the celebration, then Fiver and Silverweed going to find their beautiful mates.

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_**Next time on Heart Of Lordship:**_

"Dear Frith, please give me the best strength and courage to make it through today. My big speech is today, so give me the courage to present it. Amen," Fiver prayed as he crouched down, and then he descended the hill. He sat down and just thought to himself for a while about his recent dreams.

"Who was that rabbit in my dreams, who was the big leader, and the rabbit beside him? He looked so familiar, but I could not recognize him," Fiver thought, looking up at a tall tree and then lying down, resting for a few moments. Fiver started to head back after a few hours.

As Fiver was on his way, he ran into some trouble. A fox in front of him. His teeth and claws sharp, he was growling, and he looked hungry. He was even salivating. Fiver backed away as the fox kept sticking his nose into Fiver's face.

"Welcome to the afterlife, Long ears," the fox said, a dirty smile on his face as he lifted his sharp claws, ready to swipe.


	3. The Celebration

Chapter 3: The Celebration

Three days had passed since Hazel told Holly and Strawberry to take Fiver and Silverweed to get some does for them. Fiver and Silverweed also had one day left to get their speech prepared for the warren about the celebration. They were both deeply terrified that they would be publicly embarrassed when they announced their speech. They both were found in the meeting room on the high rock, practicing their speech.

"Fiver, I think you should do the speech," Silverweed suggested, shuddering in fear as they looked at their audiences, which were carrots. They had stood each carrot upright leaned against a wall.

"Why me, Silverweed?" Fiver asked, a bit confused. "Well, I've only been here for a few days, and I am terrified of speaking to a crowd," Silverweed replied, looking down at the dirt.

"But you've spoken to a crowd before, your poem, don't you remember?" Fiver said, curious as to why.

"I know, but that was different. That was my family instead of my friends," Silverweed replied, about to stand up again until he collapsed to the floor and started shaking. Fiver immediately grew concerned. He placed his paw on Silverweed's head and then started to read his vision.

"The darkness comes to take two of us

And no other way to prevent this fuss!" Silverweed cried, still shaking on the ground. Fiver kept rubbing his head trying to make him snap out of it. Silverweed finally got up.

"Silverweed! What was that vision?" Fiver asked loudly since he was concerned for Silverweed.

"All I know is that two of us will die in two days, and I don't know who those two rabbits are," Silverweed answered, terrified,

"Silverweed, why don't you get some rest, alright?" Fiver said as he helped Silverweed to his own burrow before returning to the small stage and starting to practice his speech, although he was distracted by Silverweed's dark prophecy. After he'd been practicing for a few minutes, Hazel, Primrose, Blackberry, and Campion came into the meeting room and noticed Fiver.

"Hello, Fiver. What are you doing up there?" Hazel asked, puzzled

"I was practicing my speech..." Fiver replied, standing on his haunches and rubbing gingerly at one of the healing wounds on his back leg that still twinged every once in a while.

"In front of carrots?" Campion teased as he noticed the carrots leaning on the wall, everyone laugh, which made Fiver blush.

"I just needed an audience, OK?" Fiver cried, halting their laughter.

"Well, good luck, Fiver. I believe you'll do well," Hazel said, smiling at Fiver, who smiled back. Then Fiver got back to practicing while Hazel and Campion nuzzled their mates on the nose and went up to their burrows. Blackberry and Campion down next to each other, talking.

"Are you excited mating season is not far away?" Campion asked, draping a paw over Blackberry to hold his mate. Blackberry smiled.

"Yes, I am, Campion. What gender are you hoping for?" Blackberry answered

"I don't care gender-wise. I just want beautiful and strong kits," Campion said, smiling at Blackberry, who smiled back.

"You are sweet," Blackberry said, staring into Campion's eyes, then the two nuzzled each other's cheeks for a few minutes. They drifted away to sleep together.

Fiver was doing something very suspicious. He started digging another burrow next to Bigwig's burrow. He made it large and Hannah helped Fiver make a large bed. Fiver then buried the entrance so Bigwig wouldn't notice the new burrow.

Bigwig was busy teaching the Owsla new moves. Holly, Campion, and Strawberry got the moves mastered, but Hawkbit and Dandelion had some trouble.

"Come on, Hawkbit and Dandelion, I've seen earthworms do better somersaults than you two!" Bigwig snapped, trying to get them to master the moves. The move was simple: do a somersault, then a jump kick.

"Bigwig! It's too hard! I can't even get up after the somersault!" Hawkbit whined, and he was right. He would fall down after the somersault, since he couldn't bend his haunches fast enough to do the jump kick.

"I can't even do the somersault!" Dandelion sighed. When he tried to roll and do a somersault, he would only get half way before falling back to where he started.

"Well, it's no excuse if you can't do it. Practice makes perfect, so keep practicing!" Bigwig yelled, while Dandelion and Hawkbit got back to practicing.

Fiver was still utterly terrified of pronouncing his speech to Hazel and his friends at the party, as well as being worried about Silverweed's prophecy, so Fiver went up to silflay somewhere private to practice. He was carrying a carrot in his mouth to the private area. When he got there, it was just a forest with a pond in the center, Fiver sat down and started to eat his carrot. He was unaware that Primrose, Blackberry, and Spartina were following him, hiding in the bushes and watching him practice.

"This is going to be pretty hilarious," Spartina giggled, trying not to laugh too loud or they would blow their cover.

"We get to hear what he might say in his speech!" Blackberry whispered, about to break into laughter. Primrose was about to do the same thing. Fiver then stopped eating and got up and started to speak.

"Citizens of Watership Down, it is an honor to be able to present this speech. We successfully defeated Woundwort, the ruler of great Efrafa, with the help of us..." Fiver paused when he heard laughter. "Who goes there? Come out, wherever you are!" Fiver started again, getting scared slightly and going into defensive mode. This made the does laugh even harder.

"Guys. Hide!" Primrose whispered as they got down lower in the bush, trying not to be found. To their relief, Fiver hopped the opposite direction, but that relief was shattered. Fiver then went behind the does and tapped on Primrose's head, not too hard, but light enough for her to notice. She immediately jumped and flipped out, only to see Fiver above where the does were hiding. The does screamed.

"I win round number one!" Fiver exclaimed as he rolled on the ground, laughing like a hyena. The does were a bit embarrassed that they were caught, so they stopped Fiver from laughing by giving him a death stare.

"Alright, you does. I'll stop," Fiver said, still trying to hold in his laughter.

"Were you does trying to sneak a peek at my speech?" Fiver asked, wondering why they were spying on him.

"Yes..." Blackberry replied, a bit embarrassed, standing on her haunches.

"Well, I've got to go get some rest; Inlé is rising. "Let's go." Fiver said as he ran to the Honeycomb full speed, the does behind him. When they got back, they all went up to their burrows. Fiver was still terrified about his speech, but when he was busy thinking, Hazel came into Fiver's burrow.

"Hello Fiver. How's your speech going?" Hazel asked as he sat down next to Fiver.

"The does were spying on me, but I caught them," Fiver said, which made Hazel laugh a bit.

"And how's your side doing?" Hazel inquired, glancing at the healing puncture wounds in Fiver's flank.

"Much better now, thanks," Fiver said, smiling.

"What else do you need, Brother?" Hazel asked, cocking his head to his side.

Fiver considered telling Hazel what Silverweed had said about two of the rabbits dying. But he felt bad about darkening Hazel's mood right before the important celebration that Hazel was looking forward to so much. "I'll tell him about it after the party," Fiver thought to himself.

"Nothing else," Fiver said aloud as he drifted off to sleep. "Alright, Fiver. Goodnight," Hazel said as he patted the top of Fiver's head and left the burrow. Fiver then went to sleep.

The next day, Fiver woke up very early, probably long before everybody else. He went out of the Honeycomb, carefully trying not to wake anyone up, and then he ran to the forest. He then stopped and ate some breakfast, a carrot that he grabbed from a stockpile in his burrow. After he finished eating, he got on top of a higher hill and made a prayer to Frith.

"Dear Frith, please give me the best strength and courage to make it through today. My big speech is today, so give me the courage to present it. Amen," Fiver prayed as he crouched down, and then he descended the hill. He sat down and just thought to himself for a while about his recent dreams.

"Who was that rabbit in my dreams, who was the big leader, and the rabbit beside him? He looked so familiar, but I could not recognize him," Fiver thought, looking up at a tall tree and then lying down, resting for a few moments. Fiver started to head back after a few hours.

As Fiver was on his way, he ran into some trouble. A fox stood in front of him. His teeth and claws were sharp, he was growling, and he looked hungry. He was even salivating from his mouth. Fiver backed away as the fox kept sticking his nose into Fiver's face.

"Welcome to the afterlife, Long ears," the fox said, a dirty smile on his face as he lifted his sharp claws, ready to swipe. Fiver then knew he had to live, as he would not die on this important day. He couldn't let Hazel down the day of their celebration. Who would give the important speech then? Fiver immediately charged at the fox with a battle cry, and sank his teeth into the creature's throat as it screamed in pain. Then the fox sank into the ground, dead. Fiver spat out skin from his mouth, just as Hazel and Bigwig found him. Their mouths dropped in awe when they saw that Fiver has killed a fox.

"Fiver! Was that you?" Hazel screamed in surprise, running to his brother, making sure he was OK. Bigwig was behind him.

"Yes, Hazel. It was me," Fiver replied, looking up at Bigwig, Bigwig was surprised as well.

"Congratulations for getting your first kill!" Bigwig cried as he hugged Fiver. The three then went back to the Honeycomb, making those last minute touches before the party. A few hours of doing that, the party officially started. Everyone was in the meeting room, celebrating, sitting next to their mates. They ate and talked. After a few minutes of this, Hazel got on top of the high rock and started to speak.

"Can I have your attention everyone?" Hazel said as everyone turned their eyes to him.

"We have an important announcement to make. Fiver has prepared a speech for us, so pay attention to him!" Hazel said as everybody thumped their feet and Fiver climbed on the high rock. Fiver was nervous, sweating a little bit, but no one could see his sweat. But after killing a fox, he knew he could do this. As he looked at his audience, Hazel was smiling at him as were Blackberry and Primrose. Fiver cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Citizens of Watership Down, it is a time of great prosperity and an honor for me to present this speech. After all we have been through - heartache, tragedy, elil, blood, sweat, defeat, conquest - we are here today, on the high hills. We have successfully outwitted and defeated the perilous General Woundwort of the fallen Efrafa! Though this adventure was a great one, our adventures are not over. New territories, conquests, and adventures await us. Let us live this moment in the great prosperity of a new, long-lasting empire! We have now the long-lasting peace we desired! This warren will thrive forever! Greatness to all!" Fiver cried as he said his speech. When he was finished, everyone thumping their feet enthusiastically. Everyone loved Fiver's speech. As Fiver got off the high rock, Hazel was the first to run up to his brother.

"Fiver! You did excellently!" Hazel exclaimed as he nuzzled his brother, Fiver nuzzled back. They huddled together for a few seconds before they continued to party. Fiver then went over to Bigwig.

"Hello, Bigwig," Fiver said as he bowed before him.

"Hello, Fiver," Bigwig said, doing the same to Fiver.

"How is it going between you and Spartina?" Fiver asked, smiling. Bigwig blushed when he heard Fiver's question.

"Kind of slow," Bigwig said as he ears drooped. Fiver placed his paw on Bigwig's back, rubbing the soft fur.

"Bigwig, ask Spartina. She will say yes, I guarantee it." Fiver told, his ears perked up. Bigwig thought for a minute before had his answer.

"Alright, I will," Bigwig said. He found Spartina in the back of the meeting room by herself. He went over to her, took a deep breath, and crouched down next to her.

"Spartina?" Bigwig asked, gulping, Spartina turned her head and looked at him.

"Yes, Bigwig?" Spartina said, laughing a bit that Bigwig was nervous.

"I... I... I wanted to talk to you about something important," Bigwig said as he blushed. Spartina giggled at Bigwig.

"Alright, what is it, Bigwig?" Spartina asked, excited that Bigwig had to talk to her about something.

"I've been wanting to ask you for a long time, since we met in Darkhaven," Bigwig answered, and Spartina's ears perked up a bit.

"What did you want to ask me?" Spartina said, moving in a bit closer to Bigwig. He took a huge breath and closed his eyes.

"I always liked you. You were strong, fierce, and brave with us," Bigwig said with a smile. Spartina gasped and then smiled back.

"So..." Spartina prompted as he smiled.

"Will you be my mate?" Bigwig asked. Spartina thought for a moment, her eyes wide.

"YES! Yes, absolutely!" She said excitedly as her mind turned to pure happiness. She always waited for Bigwig, a fierce fighter, and Captain of the Watership Down Owsla, the bravest and the steadfast buck, to say those commendable words to her. She then was smiling as a tear dripped down her face. Bigwig wiped the tear away and she nuzzled Bigwig on the nose as they got up. Bigwig's foot was thumping with happiness as his smile widened. He gasped a bit at the touch of her nose, but then grinned as he got more comfortable and then nuzzled her back. They nuzzled each other on the nose for a few minutes. Bigwig looked at Fiver, who winked at him and then Bigwig focused back on Spartina.

"I told her things would speed up. They look happy," Primrose said delightedly, her ears perked up.

"They do look happy together," Blackberry said, her ears perked up as well. Then the other two does nuzzled their mates on the nose for a few minutes.

"Spartina has finally found a way into Bigwig's heart. Bigwig finally opened his heart," Hazel said.

"They're a match in Frith's land, for sure," Fiver said as he grinned. When Bigwig and Spartina were finished nuzzling, everybody went over to them, congratulating both of them.

"I'm happy for you, Bigwig! Congratulations!" Hazel said as he nuzzled Bigwig for a few seconds. Then everyone continued the party, while the full moon was gleaming over the beech tree.

* * *

_**Next time on Heart Of Lordship:**_

The next day, about evening, the hlessil out of Watership Down were making good progress. They had covered about ten miles, and they felt as if they were going to make it to their goal and achieve it. That feeling soon sank into darkness.

They found themselves in thick cover, a forest. They were moving for a few minutes before they stopped for breakfast. They found some carrots and cabbages in the center of an open area in the forest. While it seemed convenient, it was actually a trap.

"Alright, guys! Flayrah for us!" Holly exclaimed as the four rabbits ran up to it. Fiver was the most excited because cabbages were his favorite. They immediately started eating until they were literally full. They then started to talk for a bit.

"How much longer until we're there?" Fiver asked, groaning a bit, tired from the long journey.

"Probably not much longer, about four more…" Holly paused as he saw horrified looks on Fiver and Silverweed's faces. Holly was puzzled at their expressions, but ignored them.

"Holly and Strawberry, behind you…" Fiver said hoarsely as he was terrified.

"What?" Holly and Strawberry both said, laughing at the fact.

"I'm sure it's nothing harmful…" both of them said as they turned around, only to find what had horrified their friends. There were two large bucks standing over them. They were about a fifth larger than them. They had their razor sharp claws ready to strike.


	4. Close Moments

Chapter 4: Close Moments

As the party drug on, everyone was enjoying a good time. They were all with their mates, talking about the bright future of Watership Down. After a few more hours, Hazel climbed up on the high rock again with his brother Fiver.

"Friends, can I have your attention please?" Hazel shouted as everyone turned their eyes on Hazel.

"I would like to thank Fiver again for his excellent speech," Hazel said. As he paused, Fiver faced everybody and they thumped their feet in approval. Fiver silently congratulated himself.

"Also I would like to give one last congratulations to Bigwig and Spartina for their proposal," Hazel said happily as his ears perked up. Fiver twitched his ears in delight, as well. Everybody thumped their feet again as Bigwig and Spartina glanced at each other in interest then nuzzled each other on the nose for a few seconds. Seeing the new couple's affection for each other made Fiver remember how lonely he felt without a mate of his own. He thought it must be nice to have someone else with whom he could share his thoughts, feelings, and worries.

"What about a bigger burrow? It will take a while to make another," Bigwig asked, trying to figure out where to stay now. Fiver immediately smiled.

"Don't worry. I've got that taken care of already," Fiver said with a grin, his ears perked up. Bigwig and Spartina followed Fiver to the burrow he had dug and covered up. Bigwig looked puzzled when they got to the burrow since he saw nothing there.

"Where's the burrow?" Bigwig asked, his ears rising in curiosity as he scratched his mane in confusion. Spartina narrowed her eyes in confusion as well. In answer, Fiver dug out the entrance to reveal the new burrow. Bigwig and Spartina were the first to react, showing immediate excitement. Their ears perked up in happiness to see the new burrow Fiver had dug for them. The burrow was high and large, the beds were the softest leaves, and there was a flayrah stockpile in a secret tunnel. "Fiver, this is beautiful! How did you do this?" Spartina asked delightedly as she hopped into the burrow, Bigwig and Fiver behind her.

"Oh, I just happen to have the master art of digging. I made this in my free time," Fiver chuckled, and he gave Bigwig a friendly punch on the shoulder. Bigwig did the same to Fiver, rubbing his paw on Fiver's soft head in a friendly manner.

"Aww, thanks Fiver!" Bigwig exclaimed.

"Oh, Bigwig and Spartina! I almost forgot, a present for you both!" Fiver said excitedly. Bigwig and Spartina were a bit puzzled as Fiver rushed to another part of the warren, coming back with the largest carrot anybody had seen. Everybody gasped at the carrot. It was bright orange, and there was a pure reflection on the carrot, perfectly clean, looked polished and juicy.

"Here's my gift to you both," Fiver said proudly as he set the carrot on the soft dirt.

"Fiver, how did you get that big of a carrot?" Bigwig said, shocked, looking at Fiver.

"I was scavenging, and I found this," Fiver replied as he laughed a little. Bigwig couldn't hold in his happiness anymore, so he lunged for Fiver, nuzzling him. Fiver nuzzled back, and they cuddled for a few minutes, enjoying one another's friendship.

"Yes, yes, it's very nice, Fiver, "Bigwig said abruptly, pulling back and twitching his nose a little in embarrassment at his display of public affection. "I guess the burrow might work."

"I think we should call it a night, shall we?" Fiver said, trying to stifle a yawn with his paw. Bigwig and Spartina nodded in agreement, then Fiver left to go up to his burrow. Bigwig and Spartina settled down on their beds and drifted slowly to sleep.

The next day, Ni-Frith to be exact, everyone was outside of the tree, and Fiver, Silverweed, Strawberry, and Captain Holly gave their goodbyes, for their journey to get mates was about to start. Among the goodbyes, Fiver's farewell to Hazel was the most emotional.

"Bye, Brother. I hope you make it out there. I hope you get yourself a beautiful mate," Hazel said reassuringly, tears running down his face, Fiver wiped them away with his paws.

"I will, Brother. I don't want to leave you, but you will be with me in my mind and heart, Hazel. Bye." Fiver replied, crying as well. The brothers then nuzzled each other for a long while.

"You take good care of yourself and the warren, too, while we're gone," Fiver added, remembering Silverweed's prophecy with a twinge of doubt. He had considered telling Hazel about it, but he felt bad about worrying his brother with something like that, especially now of all times. "And maybe it's nothing after all," Fiver thought. "After all, Silverweed did just come back from the dead. Who knows what sort of strange things he might see right after that."

Fiver didn't want to leave his brother, but he needed a mate. Now that they no longer had to worry about Woundwort, he was realizing more and more how lonely he felt as one of the few rabbits left in Watership Down without a doe. As the last goodbyes were said, they were off behind the tree, heading into the open.

"I can hardly believe little Fiver is off on his own to get a mate," Hazel said, a thin mist in his eyes but a proud note in his voice as he turned to his own mate Primrose beside him. "I hope he will be all right."

"I know how it feels to say goodbye, but I am sure he'll survive," Primrose replied as she rubbed his back with her chin. Hazel smiled.

"Thanks, Primrose. I know Fiver is strong, but it's strange to let him go off without me. I've always been there to protect him," Hazel said with a smile for her. Primrose smiled back, then the two nuzzled each other on the cheek for a few seconds before everyone else went inside.

After a few hours, it was about evening, the four rabbits were making good progress on their journey. They hopped for about three miles before they took cover under a shady tree.

"How far is the warren?" Fiver and Silverweed asked, both very tired of hopping. Holly and Strawberry chuckled at this.

"Oh, there's still a long ways," Holly replied, though he was exhausted as well. Fiver and Silverweed groaned in disappointment, knowing they still had to go farther. They sat and ate some grass for a few minutes before moving on again.

* * *

Back at Watership Down, Bigwig was busy training the Owsla on new moves again. Finally, Hawkbit and Dandelion mastered the move they couldn't master for a few weeks. They were now busy training on a new move, a simple punch. They practiced using their paw to slap enemies and to punch in the stomach of enemies. So Bigwig had each rabbit get a partner and then practice hitting their enemies. Pipkin and the Junior Owsla did excellently, but Hawkbit and Dandelion barely passed. After a few minutes of training, the Owsla members departed except for Bigwig. He sat in the forest under the shade of a tree. After a few seconds, Spartina hopped around and found Bigwig. She approached him underneath the tree.

"Hello, Bigwig," Spartina said as she bowed and crouched down next to Bigwig. Bigwig greeted her back.

"Hello Spartina, what brings you here?" Bigwig asked as he smiled. Spartina smiled back.

"Oh, just the feeling of comfort and wanting to be with my mate," Spartina chuckled, and Bigwig immediately blushed. She laughed at this, making Bigwig blush even more. After a few seconds, Bigwig managed to calm down on the outside, but inside, he was deeply embarrassed.

"That is a good feeling," Bigwig replied, looking at the sun setting. Spartina did the same thing.

"It just looks wonderful, watching the sun set from the sky before the moon and stars shine their fullest," Spartina said contentedly, her ears perking up. She let out a deep breath and then continued watching.

"It is wonderful," Bigwig replied, his ears perking up as well. He then curled his paw around Spartina and looked at her, smiling, and she smiled back.

"Shouldn't you train the Owsla a bit more?" Spartina asked, scratching her mane.

"No, I feel happy and fully content where I am right now, with you," Bigwig replied. "Though I'm sure you could throw better punches than Hawkbit and Dandelion put together." Spartina gasped and her eyes widened, then narrowed . She blushed a bit.

"Really?" Spartina questioned, still blushing.

"Yes, really," Bigwig replied, looking into her eyes. Spartina immediately smiled and leaned in closer to Bigwig.

"I love you, Spartina," Bigwig said. Spartina gasped but then relaxed.

"I love you too, Bigwig," Spartina replied fondly, her ears perking up. Bigwig smiled and then nuzzled Spartina on the cheek for a few minutes.

"I do hope we don't get attacked again anytime soon," Bigwig said. "With some of those numbskulls I've got in training, I'm wondering how we managed to defeat Woundwort."

"Oh, they're not that bad," Spartina giggled, nudging him in the shoulder playfully. "And I'm sure a warrior like you will be able to get them into shape easily enough. Besides, I don't think you'd be happy if you didn't have Owsla-in-training to order around."

"Should we head back?" Bigwig asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, let's go," Spartina replied happily as her ear perked up. They both got up and hopped to the Honeycomb together peacefully. Hazel was watching this from atop a hill.

"You've done it, my friend, you've done it," Hazel said with a smile, then he hopped back to the Honeycomb.

* * *

Inlè was rising, and it shined over the beech tree of Watership Down. Blackberry and Campion were in their burrow, talking as always.

"So how is it going between Bigwig and Spartina?" Blackberry asked, her ears perked up in curiosity. Campion gave her a interested look before answering her question.

"Excellent, I hear. Hazel has just told me something beautiful is happening to them. Bigwig is learning that there's more to life than just training Owsla," Campion answered, looking at Blackberry. She smiled at Campion, who smiled back at her.

"Campion, do you think Fiver and Silverweed will survive?" Blackberry asked, wondering about his take on the two rabbits' mission. Campion thought for a few long moments, then he had his answer.

"I think they both will survive. They have Holly and Strawberry on their side, and they are both expert Owsla members. I'm sure they can take on any elil they might meet. Plus, Fiver and Silverweed have their special intuition about such things. They will do fine," Campion answered reassuringly. Blackberry's ears perked up in happiness at Campion's positive reply.

"Mmm, I'm excited for mating season coming," Blackberry murmured as she snuggled closer to Campion, who wrapped his paw around her. Campion closed his eyes in contentment.

"I am, too, Blackberry. I am looking forward to being a father," Campion answered. He thought to himself for a few moments, then looked back at Blackberry.

"I love you, Campion," Blackberry sighed, her eyes widening in affection.

"I love you too, Blackberry. I hope we are together for always," Campion answered. The two nuzzled each other on the nose affectionately for a few moments before parting. Then the two slowly drifted away to sleep.

* * *

The next day, about evening, the hlessil out of Watership Down were making good progress. They had covered about ten miles, and they felt as if they were going to make it to their goal and achieve it. That feeling soon sank into darkness.

They found themselves in thick cover, a forest. They were moving for a few minutes before they stopped for breakfast. They found some carrots and cabbages in the center of an open area in the forest.

"Alright, guys! Flayrah for us!" Holly exclaimed as the four rabbits ran up to it. Fiver was the most excited because cabbages were his favorite. They immediately started eating until they were literally full. They then started to talk for a bit.

"How much longer until we're there?" Fiver asked, groaning a bit tired from the long journey. The barely closed wounds on his legs were throbbing, too.

"Probably not much longer, about four more…" Holly paused as he saw a horrified looks on Fiver and Silverweed's faces. Holly was puzzled at their expressions, but ignored them.

"Holly and Strawberry, behind you…" Fiver said hoarsely as if he was terrified.

"What?" Holly and Strawberry both said laughing at the fact.

"I'm sure it's nothing harmful…" both of them said as they turned around, only to find what had horrified their friends. There were two large bucks standing over them. They were about a fifth larger than them. They had their razor sharp claws ready to strike.

"No mercy to all," one of the bucks growled with a low, underlying tone of anger. Before Holly and Strawberry could react, the two bucks swiped their claws at their necks. Holly and Strawberry fell to the ground, blood pouring out of their necks, their eyes wide open. Fiver and Silverweed froze in shock and terror at their deaths. The two bucks that killed them immediately cornered Fiver and Silverweed, standing over them.

"Who are you two?" one of them asked, putting one digit of his claws on Fiver's neck, the other one doing the same to Silverweed. Fiver was deeply scared, but he didn't move.

"We are just wanderers. Please, do not hurt us, we do not want to cause trouble. We mean no harm, we are just looking for does," Fiver pleaded, hoping they would just leave them alone. The two bucks' expressions did not change, as they pressed their claws a bit harder on Fiver and Silverweed's necks.

"Little runts like you can't resist some nice, crunchy flayrah," one of the bucks laughed nastily. "Works every time. Styrax doesn't like hlessil wandering through his part of the forest."

"We show no mercy to all. Prepare to die in your own blood," the other buck said as they pinned Fiver and Silverweed on the ground. Fiver and Silverweed tried to break free, but it was in vain. The enemy rabbits both lifted their claws, ready to kill them both. Fiver then bolted into action; they had to do something, or this would be their end. They did not wanted to end their lives this way.

"Silverweed, now!" Fiver cried as he and Silverweed spat into the bucks' eyes, blinding them. The bucks screamed as Fiver and Silverweed struggled up. They were clearly in agony, feeling the full effects of their saliva, because it had dirt in it from eating grass.

"My eyes, oh, my eyes!" one of the bucks screamed as the two bucks pawed their eyes, trying to rub the saliva out of them.

"Run, Silverweed, run!" Fiver cried as he bolted away, Silverweed behind him. The bucks regained their vision after a couple of seconds.

"After them! Do not lose them!" one of the bucks cried as they both chased Fiver and Silverweed. After a minute of chasing, Fiver began to panic. His legs were aching from the long walk and his healing injuries, and though smaller and faster than the large bucks, he knew he didn't have their endurance.

"What do we do? We can't outrun them in a straight line!" Fiver cried to Silverweed as they ran. Silverweed was about to say something when they stopped in horror. The ground cut off; it was a high drop from where they were standing. The bucks caught up to them.

"I'm sorry it has to end this way now," one of the bucks said with a dirty smile and mock remorse in his voice. Silverweed and Fiver charged at the two bucks, clawing, scratching, doing anything to stay alive. They got a few hits on the bucks, but Fiver and Silverweed suffered many injuries. Their abdomens and limbs were covered in cuts and bites. They were about to die when something miraculous happened.

_"I'm sorry, Hazel, goodbye. I'm really sorry I have to die,"_ Fiver thought to himself as he closed his eyes, ready to feel the strong pain on his neck, but he didn't. He heard loud bellows, as if someone was falling. He saw Silverweed standing above him and Fiver got up, seeing the two bucks falling to their death.

"Noooooooooo!" both of the bucks bellowed as they fell. They landed on a hard rock, and their heads collided with their skulls on the rock. Their eyes remained wide open, dilated, and a little blood slowly seeped from the back of their heads.

"You saved me, Silverweed. Thank you," Fiver said slowly, shocked that Silverweed had managed to survive and save him. Silverweed chuckled wearily, still shaking a little from the fright and exhaustion.

"Heh, I wouldn't let you or myself die that way," Silverweed replied, smiling at Fiver, who smiled back.

But then Fiver shuddered. "It's the prophecy, Silverweed, the vision you saw. Two of the rabbits would die! I should have known…I should have been able to stop it." Fiver started to cry, he felt terrible that he couldn't prevent the deaths. Silverweed went over to Fiver and nuzzled his quivering ears.

"Its all right Fiver, they have lived a long life. Frith has probably called them to join him in the afterlife." Silverweed answered.

The two nuzzled each other for a few seconds before they ran back to Holly and Strawberry's corpses. They dug two small holes and set their corpses in the holes. They said prayers for them and made a sign that Fiver and Silverweed were there. They then descended slowly down the steep drop, dragging their injured limbs forward, trying to achieve their goal and get help.

* * *

**_Next time on _****_Heart Of Lordship:_**

"What are you doing here?" Hazel said nervously, obviously scared. He didn't expect them to be in his burrow that early. Bigwig sighed and started to explain.

"We were watching you tear up your bed, so we obviously know what's going on. We're concerned for you," Bigwig explained as he examined the bed. Hazel chuckled a little in embarrassment, uncomfortable that he had been caught ripping up his property.

"Heh, I might have gotten out of line a bit, I guess. But I have this terrible feeling about Fiver. I…I…can't explain. I'm just terribly worried for him, I'm also worried about Silverweed who's with him," Hazel said, shaking his head. Primrose nudged him gently on the shoulder. Bigwig went behind Hazel and patted him on the back.

"Don't worry, Hazel! I'm sure he's just a little late. Who knows? Maybe they will return in a couple more days," Spartina said, also concerned with her Chief's behavior. But at that, Hazel just seemed to grow more agitated.

"A little! I don't think four days is a little late! They may have been killed and it will have been my fault. I've always protected them, and I should have done so this time, too," Hazel exclaimed in frustration, scaring the group. He then put his claws to his own neck as if he were about to hurt himself.


	5. Sadness is Always Around

Chapter 5: Sadness is Always Around

After Fiver and Silverweed descended the drop, they kept going. They went on and on, dragging their injured limbs with them, as they bled and bled. They would die soon if they didn't find help. After a few more hours of limping on, about evening, they stopped to graze at some grass and try to find some herbs to heal their injuries.

"Silverweed, do you know anything about herbs? We're going to bleed to death!" Fiver cried as he started to scratch his paw, attempting to stem the slow trickle of blood from a bite.

"No, Fiver, I'm sorry, I do not know," Silverweed answered sadly as he scratched his hind leg. His ears were drooping down, as were Fiver's. They both sighed at this.

"Come on! There has to be something Blackberry or anyone would tell us!" Fiver screamed in frustration, angry that they hadn't learned any knowledge on herbs. He then found an herb, and he studied it, looking at the structure.

"Well, here's an herb, but how do you use it. I do not think just putting it on a cut like this would work at all. So how do I use the herb?" Fiver thought to himself. He tried applying the herb as a whole to a cut, but it didn't work. Nothing happened after a few seconds, and he knew if he applied it the right way, something would happen. The blood continued to trickle past the small plant. He tried ripping the herb into pieces and applying it, but that didn't work either. He then made one last attempt: he put the herb in his mouth. The herb had a bitter taste, but he started to chew the herb into mush. He slowly began to feel better, then he spat out the herb mush and applied it on a cut. He felt some pain in the area he put the mush on, but the steady trickle of blood was stopped by the thick compound of herb and his saliva. Fiver's ears immediately perked up in excitement. He had just learned how to use herbs. He immediately ran up to Silverweed, who was surprised at the reaction.

"That's it!" Fiver cried as he leapt up. Silverweed cocked his head in a curious manner.

"What is?" Silverweed asked, scratching his mane with his left paw, curious at what Fiver had done.

"I found out how to use herbs! All we have to do is find some herbs and then we chew them up in a mush and then use that to heal our cuts!" Fiver cried, hopping up and down, obviously excited that he found out how to heal themselves. Silverweed's ears perked up in excitement.

"Alright, then what are we waiting for? Quickly, find some herbs!" Silverweed answered as they crouched down, searching. After a few minutes, they found more of the herbs that Fiver had used. They started to chew the herbs into mush. They were a bit disgusted at the bitter taste of the herbs, but they managed to chew them until they spat them out and then put them on their cuts. They got excited as they felt the pain of their cuts lessen. They knew the herbs were working.

"Yes, now we are fixed up!" Fiver said happily as he chuckled, making Silverweed happy as well. They both smiled in glee and then the two nuzzled each other, thankful that they were alive.

"I wouldn't have survived the encounter without you," Fiver said, sighing heavily in relief. "That was far too close."

"I wouldn't have survived without you finding those herbs, either," Silverweed replied. "I guess it's a good thing we have each other. We're lucky."

"Luckier than Holly and Strawberry," Fiver whispered. He'd been so worried about his and Silverweed's wounds and shaken by the attack that he'd hardly had time to think about the fact that their friends were dead. He couldn't believe they were gone now. Tears slid down his cheeks.

Silverweed nuzzled him sympathetically, though there were tears in his eyes as well. "We can't stay here. We still need help," he said. Fiver nodded, and after resting for a few minutes, they started off again, not stopping until Inlé rose.

* * *

Back at Watership Down, Hazel was very concerned about his brother's whereabouts. It had probably been five to seven days since he last saw Fiver. Hazel crouched in his burrow by himself, thinking.

_"Where is Fiver? He and Silverweed should have been back by now! I'm pretty sure Holly and Strawberry would do a great job protecting them. But what if they were attacked by elil? Fiver wasn't completely healed yet and he wouldn't have been able to fight. He's so small, too. What if he wasn't ready to go off on his own yet? If he dies or gets hurt, it'll be my fault,"_ Hazel thought to himself as he shed a few tears. He crouched down on the bed of soft leaves lining his burrow, thinking of all the bad things that could be happening to his little brother. Finally, he fell asleep from exhaustion and worry.

_But he had vivid dreams that felt incredibly real. He was standing in a forest clearing with a pile of wonderful flayrah in the centered. He looked around cautiously for elil but saw nothing, so he hopped to the pile and began eating. The carrots were crunchy and firm and the lettuce was crisp. He closed his eyes in delight._

_But then he noticed that his paws were wet. He opened his eyes and shook his front paws, wondering if it was raining or if there was a stream nearby. But he looked down and saw a trickle of red on the ground. He jumped back in surprise and fear._

_Looking up, he saw four bodies lying where the pile of flayrah had been. They were rabbits, and the stream of blood was coming from them. He crept closer and saw that they were covered in bite marks, like they'd been attacked by another animal. He crept even closer and found himself looking into Fiver's eyes, but they were wide open in terror and he was dead. Hazel screamed._

He woke up shaking and covered in sweat. He looked around and saw that he was still in his burrow and it had just been a dream. What a terrible dream, though! Suddenly afraid, he wondered if it was like the dreams Fiver had, the ones that were premonitions. What if Fiver and his three companions really were dead? The thought was so horrible that Hazel felt sick to his stomach.

He heard a scraping sound at the entrance to his burrow, and he looked up to see Primrose coming in. She twitched her nose at him and hopped over. "Are you alright? You don't look well, Hazel."

Still trying to shake off the effects of the dream, he nuzzled her gently. "Yes, I'm alright. What did you come to tell me?"

"There's someone outside who wants to see you," Primrose said as she frowned. "It's a mouse and it says it wants to talk to you."

Hazel climbed slowly out of the burrow up to the tree. It was odd for creatures other than rabbits to come to Watership Down and ask to speak with him.

The mouse was crouched under the tree, waiting for him. When he hopped out of his burrow, it stood on its hind legs and twitched its whiskers. "Rabbit leader?" it asked in its reedy voice.

"Yes, I'm Hazel-rah," Hazel answered. "What do you want?"

"You sent rabbits? That way?" the mouse said, pointing.

"Yes," Hazel said with a frown. "How did you know?"

The mouse flicked its tail and twitched its whiskers again nervously. "Flayrah that way. Bad flayrah. Trap. Bad rabbits kill Hazel-rah rabbits."

Hazel felt the hair of his mane stand up in fear. "What do you mean?"

"Hazel-rah rabbits dead. I see."

Hazel stumbled backwards, his legs feeling limp. He ran into his burrow, shaking all over. He hoped it was just another terrible dream, but he knew it wasn't. Holly, Strawberry, Silverweed, and Fiver were dead! His little brother was dead! He had been so stupid to let Fiver go on this journey with so few companions. He'd put Fiver in danger and now he was dead. The thought that it was his fault made him feel sick.

He was angry and sad at the same time. He started ripping up his bed of leaves into shreds, furious and grief-stricken. He didn't even notice that Bigwig, Spartina, and Primrose were peeking through his burrow, watching him rip up his bed. They were surprised at his behavior.

"What is he doing? He's messing up our burrow!" Primrose whispered loudly in shock and discontentment. Spartina put her paw over her mouth to keep her quiet, but then Bigwig spoke.

"He must be going insane. His brother has only been gone a week, and he's never gotten like this before," Bigwig whispered, scratching his mane in puzzlement.

"There's obviously more going on than we know about. Hazel wouldn't get so upset over nothing," Spartina replied as she watched Hazel.

Primrose sighed lightly. "You both do have a point. Should we try to comfort him and find out what's wrong?" she whispered, wondering what she could do to comfort her mate when he was clearly so upset. She'd never seen him upset like this before. Bigwig and Spartina looked at each other with worried expressions.

"It's the best we can do. We can't just let him rip everything up," Bigwig whispered, getting up, then all three went into Hazel's burrow. Hazel was still ripping up the bed, and now it was almost destroyed. Bigwig cleared his throat to get Hazel's attention. Hazel turned around and jumped in horror, scared by their presence. Hazel put his paw to his head and looked away, then he sighed before he started to speak to the three rabbits.

"What are you doing here?" Hazel said nervously, obviously scared. He didn't expect them to be in his burrow that early. Bigwig sighed and started to explain.

"We were watching you tear up your bed, so we obviously know what's going on. We're concerned for you," Bigwig explained as he examined the bed. Hazel chuckled a little in embarrassment, uncomfortable that he had been caught ripping up his property.

"Heh, I might have gotten out of line a bit, I guess. But I have this terrible feeling about Fiver. I…I…can't explain. I'm just terribly worried for him, and his friend Silverweed," Hazel said, shaking his head. Primrose nudged him gently on the shoulder. Bigwig went behind Hazel and patted him on the back.

"Don't worry, Hazel! I'm sure they're just a little late. Who knows? Maybe they will return in a couple more days," Spartina said, also concerned with her Chief's behavior. But at that, Hazel just seemed to grow more agitated.

"A little! I don't think four days is a little late! they may have been killed and it will have been my fault. I've always protected them, and I should have done so this time, too," Hazel exclaimed in frustration, scaring the group. He then put his claws to his own neck as if he were about to hurt himself. He started to make an incision in his neck but he was stopped by all three of them.

"Hazel, no!" Bigwig cried as he tried to ram Hazel down, but he was too late. Hazel dodged around the bigger rabbit, then he bolted for the exit of his burrow, Spartina got in the way. Hazel's feet were scratching and rubbing in the dirt trying to gain friction and overpower Spartina, but Spartina finally knocked Hazel down onto the ground.

"Get off of me!" Hazel cried, trying to heave Spartina off of him, but he was too tired to get up.

"We're not letting you die this way!" Spartina yelled, very shocked and frustrated at Hazel's behavior. She then pulled him back into his burrow. Bigwig helped Spartina pin Hazel down. After a few seconds of holding him there trying to calm him down, Primrose then pushed Spartina and Bigwig out of the way and pulled Hazel off the ground.

"Hazel, please. What is going on? I'm sure your brother and Silverweed are alive! You know better! This is a ridiculous thing to do to yourself! Please, trust me and tell me what's wrong!" Primrose cried, distraught, as she touched her forehead with Hazel's, trying to calm her mate down. She was crying as well. Hazel's face changed and then started to speak.

"What have I done? All I want is..." Hazel paused and then he broke into tears, unable to hold in his sadness. He then lunged for Primrose and hugged her tightly, his tail going down. Primrose did the same thing. They held each other for a long while, crying. After a few more moments, they let go of each other.

"I'm sorry! But it's Fiver… He's…he's dead. They're all dead," Hazel sniffed, and then he told them about his dream and what the mouse had said, Primrose patting his back the whole time. Bigwig and Spartina looked shocked at the news, and then they nuzzled Hazel, upset to see their Chief in such deep sadness.

"Maybe it's not what it seems," Primrose tried to reassure him.

"I'm not going to believe it until I find them. I promise, we will look for him in the morning, alright?" Bigwig said, reassuring Hazel, who smiled tiredly through his tears.

"Thanks, you're all the best," Hazel said as he smiled again, then all four joined in for a group huddle. They nuzzled each other for a few seconds and then they all went up to their burrows, but only after they repaired the bed Hazel had torn up, with Hannah's help. When Bigwig and Spartina returned to their burrow, Hazel and Primrose were left alone.

"I'm sorry for my behavior; do you forgive me?" Hazel asked, worried that he might have damaged his relationship with Primrose. "I shouldn't have reacted like that when we're not even sure it's true."

Primrose smiled. "It's OK, I know you didn't mean it. The thought of losing your only brother must be terrible," Primrose answered, her ears perked up, "I know Bigwig and Spartina will be able to discover the truth. And until we find them, you need to rest. The thought of losing you is just as horrible to me as the thought of losing Fiver is to you." Hazel blushed a bit which made Primrose smile fondly at him.

"I... I... I..." Hazel stuttered, trying to get the words out. Primrose smiled even more.

"I what?" Primrose said as she raised her eyebrows. Hazel then got the courage.

"I love you..." Hazel finished, looking down on the dirt. He then moved his paw over Primrose's paw. Primrose smiled at this.

"I love you too, Hazel," Primrose said, shutting her eyes in relief. Hazel smiled even more in contentment, and then the two leaned in and nuzzled each other on the cheek affectionately. Hazel sighed slightly at the feeling. After a few seconds, they parted and smiled at each other.

"Goodnight, Primrose," Hazel said as he yawned and laid down on his soft bed.

"Goodnight, Hazel," Primrose replied as she did the same thing, then they fell asleep.

* * *

Back where Fiver and Silverweed were, they were trying to find a perfect place to sleep. They did not have the time to dig, so they were looking for a cave or something to provide cover. They then came across a large, obviously pre-dug burrow.

"Hey, Silverweed. Look what I found!" Fiver said loudly as his ears perked up in happiness. Silverweed came over to Fiver and smiled.

"Great find, Fiver! Now let's get inside before the owls start hunting!" Silverweed replied with happiness as well, then the two went underground in the burrow. The burrow had two beds on the ground, fairly close to each other. Fiver and Silverweed each chose a bed and lay down on the soft beds made of hay.

"Will we ever find our does?" Silverweed sighed.

"Behind every great buck there is a great doe," Fiver answered, which cheered up Silverweed. Fiver then started rubbing his paw on Silverweed's back in a friendly manner.

"Will I ever be back with my brother? And what will we tell him about Holly and Strawberry?" Fiver asked as a tear slid down his face. Silverweed wiped the tear away. Then Fiver couldn't hold in his sadness, and he lunged for Silverweed and just embraced him in his paws, with Silverweed hugging back.

"It's alright, Fiver. Don't worry, they will find us, I know they will," Silverweed said as a tear slid down his face as he thought about the two friends they'd lost and how they were now wandering without any idea where they were. Then the two let go of each other and they both drifted asleep, looking at the wonderful, shining stars of the night sky that they could see through the burrow hole.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, guys. I was very busy planning ideas. This is my 5th chapter now, and I'm aiming for this Fanfiction to go 30 chapters. I just need the ideas to do so. Send me PMs of ideas to help me brainstorm. I would greatly appreciate your help. Thanks.**

* * *

_**Next Time on Heart Of Lordship:**_

"What just happened? All I know is that I had another nightmare," Fiver questioned.

"You did have a nightmare, and I was looking into your mind to see," Silverweed said, nudging Fiver up onto his paws.

"Do you know who those two bucks were in my dream? One of them seemed very familiar, but somehow I couldn't recognize him," Fiver asked, desperate and wanting to know the truth. Silverweed took a deep, deep breath and a long moment to think to himself before he spoke. He was ready to let Fiver know the truth.

"I do know, but only one of them," Silverweed answered, looking at Fiver. Fiver shifted on his paws impatiently.

"Tell me who he is!" Fiver demanded. Silverweed hushed him and then spoke the truth.

"Alright, I will tell you...one of them was Vervain. The other, I can't recognize either," Silverweed answered, making Fiver gasp loudly. He looked like he could die from shock.


	6. The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Chapter 6: The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait; I know it has been a long time since the last chapter. I spent a ton of time planning this chapter. Enjoy.**

_It was a bright, bright morning where Fiver and Silverweed were. They stayed warm and dry in the pre-dug burrow they had found the previous night. Fiver was still sleeping, but Silverweed was already up._

_"Wake up, Fiver. Wake up, it's time to go," the voice said, and it kept saying it over and over. Fiver had his eyes shut, barely awake. He didn't want to get up. He just wanted to lay down and never wake up. He then felt something tug at his tail, which made him yelp in pain and instantly wake. Fiver saw Silverweed standing above him, looking worried._

_"What's the big idea with pulling my tail to wake me up!" Fiver demanded, his teeth clenched in pain, wondering why Silverweed would wake him up that way. Silverweed backed up slowly as Fiver started to rub the base of his tail. Silverweed sighed and crouched next to Fiver._

_"Listen, Fiver. We have found Watership Down, we both have our mates now, and they're safe in the warren," Silverweed said, reassuring Fiver that there was something to look forward to. Fiver's ears perked up in excitement, and he got up from the dirt. Silverweed placed his paw on Fiver's back as he got up._

_"Alright then, let's go. What are we waiting for?" Fiver chuckled, and then they both started running to the warren. They were excited to be back home with their friends, and Fiver was the most excited because he now got to see his brother again. When they got there, they hopped underground, ready to greet their mates and Hazel, only to find pure horror._

_Everyone was dead, their bodies lying on the ground, puddles of blood around the bodies and claw marks on their necks and backs. The blood was fresh though, only a few hours old. Fiver immediately ran to Hazel, horror on his face._

_"Hazel! Hazel! Listen to me!" Fiver cried as he tried to resuscitate Hazel, but to no use. Silverweed had the same result, but he was trying it on Bigwig._

_"Bigwig! Bigwig! Please, this can't be happening!" Silverweed cried, unable to resuscitate him either. Fiver immediately ran to Silverweed and just cried and wrapped him in his paws, very sad of what just happened. Silverweed was also very sad, Silverweed was crying as well. They both wept and huddled together for a while before the real horror kicked in. The same two rabbits Fiver had encountered before appeared out of one of the dark, long corridors of the runs. They slowly approached, pushing the two smaller rabbits toward the walls of the gathering place._

_"Well, well, well, look who we have here. Two runts that look so easy to kill right now," one of them said with a sneer as he and the other flexed their claws, ready to kill Fiver and Silverweed. Tremors of terror shook Fiver's small body._

_"Who are you, and what do you want from us!" Fiver cried, frustrated how they were targeting him and Silverweed. The two bucks chuckled as they pressed their claws on Fiver and Silverweed's necks._

_"My name is not important. I just want my warren to be the last living rabbits on earth, so hold your tongue and die in your own blood," one of the bucks said coldly with a cruel smile as he lifted his claws and killed Fiver and Silverweed._

"Fiver! Wake up, Fiver!" the voice said again, tugging at his paw. Fiver immediately bolted awake, panting heavily and soaked in perspiration. He found Silverweed standing above him, his paw on Fiver's head. Fiver sat up on his haunches, trying to recover.

"What just happened? All I know is that I had another nightmare," Fiver questioned.

"You did have a nightmare, and I was looking into your mind to see," Silverweed said, nudging Fiver up onto his paws.

"Do you know who those two bucks were in my dream? One of them seemed very familiar, but somehow I couldn't recognize him," Fiver asked, desperate and wanting to know the truth. Silverweed took a deep, deep breath and a long moment to think to himself before he spoke. He was ready to let Fiver know the truth.

"I do know, but only one of them," Silverweed answered, looking at Fiver. Fiver shifted on his paws impatiently.

"Tell me who he is!" Fiver demanded. Silverweed hushed him and then spoke the truth.

"Alright, I will tell you...one of them was Vervain. The other, I can't recognize either," Silverweed answered, making Fiver gasp loudly. He looked like he could die from shock.

Vervain, the most hated rabbit in Efrafa. He was cowardly and sneaky, which made him a good Owsla member for a warren of bullies. He was only respected because of his loyalty to Woundwort and for being in the Owsla. Maybe him not having a mate was bothering him as well and that was why he was back.

"Vervain! I thought he was swept away with Woundwort!" Fiver cried in disbelief, shocked that Vervain had survived. Silverweed sighed and tried to explain to him.

"He survived because of his lack of bravery, I imagine. He ran away when the Black Rabbit arrived, but I don't know where he is now," Silverweed said. Fiver nodded in understanding.

"Oh, so that explains why things were peaceful right after Woundwort's death. I wonder if Vervain was behind the rabbits that attacked us yesterday. Should we find and kill Vervain, get rid of our current threat now?" Fiver asked.

Silverweed pondered the question then shook his head. "No, I suggest we try to make peace with him. Yesterday, the rabbits said something about a Styrax, not Vervain. If we can help him face his fears, he might be willing to help us take down our next possible threat. He's very strong," Silverweed explained as he crawled out of the burrow, Fiver behind him. They both started to graze some grass, since they hadn't eaten since Holly and Strawberry's death.

"But who knows where he could be now?" Fiver asked, chewing some grass, his ears perked up. After Silverweed swallowed the grass he was chewing, he spoke. "I'm not so sure we should be looking for him at all. He tried to kill us in my dreams. Perhaps we should head back to Watership Down and tell the others what's happening."

Silverweed shook his head. "I think it's clear from your dreams that Vervain's fate, and this other rabbit's, are connected to ours. I think we're going to cross paths with him one way or the other, so we should be prepared when we do meet him. I think we should keep pressing on to find our does, so that this trip isn't in vain. Hazel and Bigwig would be disappointed if we came back without Holly and Strawberry and without any does, either. Holly and Strawberry wouldn't want their deaths to be in vain," Silverweed stated, getting up from the soft grass with Fiver.

"Well, we're not going to find anyone standing still, are we? So come on, let's go and find our mates and Vervain too if he decides to show himself. You're right, Holly and Strawberry wouldn't want us to give up on our mission now!" Fiver in a determined voice, then the two started to run forward, continuing their journey in search for does.

* * *

Back at Watership Down, Hazel was preparing to leave to search for Silverweed and Fiver. Although he still felt sick at the thought that the mouse's news might be true, he was determined not to break again until he knew for sure what had happened to his brother and Silverweed. Who knew where they could be now, dead or alive. Hazel left Watership Down as the leader, followed by Bigwig, Spartina, and Campion for fighting, Blackberry for a medic, Primrose for support and because she refused to stay behind, especially after his meltdown the previous day, and lastly, Dandelion for stories and encouragement, which might very well be needed. Hawkbit, Clover, and Pipkin were left behind to care for Snowdrop, Mallow, and Gilia. After the team was assigned, they left Watership Down to search for Hazel's brother and Silverweed.

After they had left, Snowdrop, Mallow, and Gilia were playing tail tag with the three others that were left behind.

"Tail tag, you're it!" Gilia cried as she tagged Mallow and then started running away, Mallow behind her. Mallow then got Gilia, who then got Pipkin, then Clover, then Hawkbit, then Snowdrop in a repetitive cycle. After a few minutes of this, the rabbits cuddled with the three kits in a big burrow, playing with them peacefully.

"When do you think they'll find Fiver and Silverweed, Hawkbit?" Pipkin asked. Hawkbit was busy talking to Clover, but he looked at Pipkin.

"I'm pretty sure they'll return in a few days," Hawkbit answered, hoping he was right. Pipkin smiled at this and then put turned his focus on the three kits. Clover and Hawkbit started nuzzling each other on the nose for a few seconds.

* * *

It was nightfall where Hazel and the others were, and they had made good progress. They had covered about four, maybe five, miles before stopping in a forest, to dig a temporary burrow for the group. Blackberry and Campion were already busy digging, making good progress; already their hole was almost large enough for everyone.

"How much longer do we have to keep digging?" Campion asked, very tired of doing doe's work. Blackberry giggled for a couple seconds and looked at Campion before starting to dig again.

"Not much longer; we are almost done, Campion. Now just keep digging if you want done," Blackberry laughed. The two nuzzled each other on the nose for a couple seconds before they continued digging. After a few more minutes, they were done, and Hazel and the others watched from several yards away, smiling.

"They are a pair, aren't they? Blackberry is the only rabbit on earth who could get Campion to dig a burrow like a doe," Bigwig said, happy that Campion has found someone to be with him. Spartina leaned her head on Bigwig's shoulder, looking at the moon.

"Yes, they are. I wonder what else-" Spartina was interrupted by a growling noise, and there was a large shadow above her. She spun around and saw a large fox hovering above her. She was too frozen in fear to react. She gasped when the fox thrust his face closer to hers.

"Yum, another long-ears to eat, hee hee hee," the fox chortled as he raised his claws. Spartina couldn't react fast enough. The fox pounced, grabbing her by the leg and dragging her through the grass, his teeth scraping her abdomen and haunches. Spartina squealed but could only do minor damage to the fox, not enough to take it down. She was unable to defend herself at this point with her leg caught between the fox's teeth.

When Bigwig and Hazel responded, finally shaking off their shock, Bigwig's face was a mask of sheer horror. The idea of Spartina dying was unthinkable. He still had so many things he wanted to do with her. The thought filled him with rage, and he immediately took action.

"Noooooo! Get away from my doe!" Bigwig cried as he charged full speed into the fox, ramming him into a tree. The fox fell down, the wind knocked out of him.

"Oh, take it easy, Long-ears," the fox gasped, trying to fight the pain. Bigwig responded by swiping his claws across the fox's face, which made him cover his eyes and yip loudly, very hurt. Bigwig then sank his teeth into the fox's head, crushing the fox's skull with the sheer force of his jaw. The fox fell to the ground, dead. The moment the danger was past, he rushed to Spartina, who had her eyes closed. There was a little bit of blood on her abdomen, but scratch marks were all over her. Bigwig clambered over her, trying to get her to wake.

"Spartina, can you hear me? Spartina!" Bigwig yelled as he patted her head, but to no avail; she wouldn't wake up.

"Please, Spartina, please! Not now, not now! Now is not your time! Wake up!" Bigwig yelled again, about to break into tears. After a few minutes, Bigwig gave up, and he instantly cried his heart out, devastated that his mate had just died, and he couldn't save her.

"I'm sorry, Spartina, I'm sorry I couldn't save you," Bigwig prayed through his sadness. When he was done, he remained quivering on the ground, his limbs shaking. Hazel came up beside him and gently touched his shoulder with his nose.

"I'm sorry, Bigwig," Hazel said, crying too, since they had just lost another rabbit, an old friend of his and the mate of his strong Owsla Captain. They huddled together for a few minutes, then Campion nuzzled Bigwig as well, and everyone else gathered around. They all felt sad and sorry for Bigwig, sympathizing with his loss.

"What do I do now? I have no one else! My mate just died!" Bigwig cried through his tears. He collapsed back on his haunches, ignoring the body of the fox that just killed his mate. "I can't believe Spartina is dead!"

"I'm not dead, Bigwig. What...are you talking about?" a voice said hoarsely, making Bigwig jump into alertness, his tail shooting up. He heard a cough, and Bigwig's face lit up with happiness as he saw a miraculous thing.

"Spartina! You're alive!" Bigwig exclaimed as he ran up to Spartina, who coughed. He was shocked that she survived the fox attack. He hugged her tightly, happy that his mate was still alive. There were mostly minor scratches, but some of the scratches were pretty severe, especially the ones on her stomach and haunches. He was careful not to brush against these as he nuzzled her. After a few minutes, they let go.

"I am alive; that fox almost got me, but you saved me back there. Thank you," Spartina replied happily with a chuckle, struggling to get up, as Bigwig helped her stand steadily on her paws. Bigwig smiled and then made another bold move.

"Like I said, I would never leave you," Bigwig said happily, his ears perked up. Spartina smiled with delight and relief.

"I believe you. You'd go to Inlé and back again to save me, I think. After all, you took on a fox for me," Spartina replied, gazing into his eyes. She cuddled closer to him and then the two touched foreheads and nuzzled each other for a few minutes. Everybody else watched, smiling.

"I think he really would have gone after the Black Rabbit himself to save her," Hazel said, happy and relieved for Bigwig.

"And I think he would have beaten the Black Rabbit," Primrose answered, touching her mate fondly on the shoulder with her nose. "Just like you'd do for me, or for Fiver."

Bigwig and Spartina separated, and both of them hopped over to rejoin the others.

"Alright, Blackberry. What's the prognosis?" Bigwig asked, concerned that Spartina's wounds might be serious. Blackberry smiled and chuckled, confusing Bigwig.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine. Most of these scratches are minor, and with a few herbs, she'll make a full recovery," Blackberry reassured Bigwig, going into the burrow she and Campion had dug. Everyone else crawled then into the burrow, finding a spot to sleep. After a few minutes, Blackberry had already applied the chewed herbs on Spartina's wounds, then Spartina crouched down beside Bigwig. Hazel and Primrose huddled next to each other, talking.

"Will I ever find my brother and Silverweed? Who knows where they could be now. It's very possible that they are even dead," Hazel questioned with a tone of defeat, making Primrose sigh deeply.

"Don't worry, Hazel. I'm sure your brother and Silverweed are still alive somewhere. You've just got to keep believing. Don't give up on us again," Primrose replied, patting Hazel's back. Hazel smiled and then nuzzled Primrose's cheek for a few seconds before they fell asleep.

Primrose was right about Fiver and Silverweed; They made good progress as well, about five more miles, even though they were still injured from the previous attack from the two bucks that murdered their two friends. The pain of their tired limbs and their grief finally was too much and they collapsed onto the ground. They were unaware that they had collapsed in front of a patrol, which was crouched on a hillock above them. Fiver looked up and saw several large bucks creeping towards them through the bushes, but he was too tired to move. He saw a large buck groping and feeling around him, probably checking for any signs of major injury.

"Let's help them; we need to bring them back anyway. We'll interrogate them later," one of the bucks said softly, looking down at the two collapsed bucks. That was Fiver's last memory before he closed his eyes, that and the moon shining above them.

* * *

_**Next Time on Heart Of Lordship:**_

"Also, one more question. I heard one of the bucks that escorted us say the words five, seven, and ten, and those bucks also were grabbing and picking up things with their paws instead of their teeth. Why is that?" Fiver questioned. Styrax's eyebrow lifted in curiosity then went back down.

"Oh, it's our treatment: Kryptontrianite," Styrax stated, making Fiver even more confused.

"Kryptontrianite? What do you mean?" Silverweed asked, the two bucks getting increasingly confused. Styrax chuckled softly before answering their question.

"I was wandering around and I found this purple liquid on the ground." Styrax paused and then held up a bottle of the purple liquid. It was bright, thick, and smooth. "I drank this mysterious liquid and I became smarter, stronger, and received many adaptations, opposable paw digits being one of them." He paused again, showing Fiver and Silverweed the adaptation. "I then managed to find out how to produce more of this liquid, a few herbs, some grapes, and then water, along with some special alterations of my own. I fed this liquid to everybody in my warren and this is where we are now. The liquid also gives us the ability to count beyond four, all the way to a hundred," he went on.

"Do you both agree to undergo this kryptontrianite treatment?" he then asked.

Fiver and Silverweed both exchanged a look and nodded to each other. They had to, as it would be a start toward becoming better fighters. If they were going to have any chance of defeating the warren, they needed to be as smart and strong as these rabbits.

"We both agree. Just do it," Fiver decided. Styrax prepared the purple liquid. He then poured out the thick, smooth liquid into two bowl made of leaves. He slid the two bowls to Fiver and Silverweed, who picked them up.


	7. The Interrogation

Chapter 7: The Interrogation

_Fiver imagined himself hopping through a large, open room. Everywhere he looked was dark, scary, and black. He didn't know where he was going. Fiver kept hopping and hopping, but the room just wouldn't end._

_"How much longer until this room is going to end?" Fiver thought to himself, very tired of hopping. He then saw Silverweed, Hazel, and Campion standing in the open. Fiver was just about to say something to them when they suddenly just disappeared._

_"Guys? Guys...where are you guys?" Fiver asked softly, very confused about what had just happened. In answer, the Black Rabbit appeared in front of him, standing very tall above him. Fiver slowly started to back away until he fell down to the ground, trying to get away. The Black Rabbit froze Fiver, making him unable to move. He could still speak, but he couldn't move a single muscle. The Black Rabbit approached Fiver, until their faces were only a few inches apart._

_"Fiver... listen to me..." the Black Rabbit said coldly, smoke emitting from his shadow. Fiver cleared his throat with a huge gulp before he spoke._

_"What? What do you want from me? Did I... die?" Fiver asked nervously, confused and puzzled on why he was there. The Black Rabbit moved away from Fiver's face before he spoke again._

_"No, Fiver. You are not dead, just collapsed from exhaustion. This is not a dream; this is real, a vision. You are in purgatory, though not dead. I have to tell you something important," the Black Rabbit stated, and Fiver began to realize what was going on._

_"What do you have to tell me?" Fiver asked reverently, anxious and curious to know what he was here for._

_"The warren you're in is called Shadowmist. The rabbits here are the strongest and the most intelligent in any warren. The rabbits of this warren have the finest skills in defense, stealth, intelligence, and pure strength. This warren are highly dangerous and perilous. Only you and Silverweed have the power to destroy this warren, along with some help from your friends," the Black Rabbit answered. "I want you to defeat Shadowmist."_

_Fiver was freed from the paralyzing power of the Black Rabbit and sat up on his haunches._

_"So, how do I defeat this Shadowmist warren? I can't defeat them by myself! I'm far too weak, and I'm a runt! Yes, I'm in the Owsla, but I'm not that strong!" he cried, confused on how he would complete the great task of defeating a warren of such great skill and prosperity._

_"You will know that when the time comes," the Black Rabbit said, and right after he did, he disappeared, and Fiver woke up._

* * *

He wasn't panting when he woke up; he only took a deep breath. As he got up, he examined his surroundings. It was about morning, because the sun was shining down into the burrow they were in. It was a rather large burrow, almost the size of two separate burrows combined. Fiver knew where he was because of the vision he had seen. He saw Silverweed, still sleeping, across from him, his body curled against the wall of the burrow. Fiver slowly hopped over to Silverweed, slightly rocking him a bit while tapping his head to wake him up. Silverweed opened his eyes, but then closed them again. Fiver rocked him a bit harder, and then he woke up, yawning as he did so.

"What happened?" Silverweed asked, groaning a bit from being in a cramped position for a long time. "Where are we?" he asked. Fiver backed away a little to give Silverweed some room to get up. He did, and then Fiver answered his questions.

"We collapsed, and no we are in another warren," Fiver answered.

Silverweed stretched his hind legs. "Shadowmist, isn't it?" he said, surprising Fiver.

"How did you know?" Fiver questioned wide-eyed, making Silverweed chuckle.

"I was having the same vision you were having. I could see you talking to the Black Rabbit," Silverweed replied with another chuckle, making Fiver realize the truth.

"Oh... so were we linking minds when we were sleeping?" Fiver asked.

"Basically, yes," Silverweed said, relieving Fiver. "Now what do we do?" Silverweed asked.

"We should probably..." Fiver paused when two bucks came in. appeared to be healers from the fact that they held some herbs in their paws. Fiver was a bit puzzled when he heard the bucks speak words he didn't understand, like five, seven, and ten. He was even more confused when he saw the two bucks grabbing and carrying things with their paws, instead of their teeth. They then started applying herbs on some of Fiver and Silverweed's cuts and additionally wrapping white clothes around both herbs and wounds.

"How are you grabbing things with your paws instead of your teeth?" asked Silverweed his eyes narrowed in confusion. The bucks looked at each other nervously as they were working, but then one of them spoke.

"You'll know when you meet our leader. After we're done binding your wounds, we'll take you to him," one of the bucks explained, still chewing up herbs, his face wrinkled in disgust by the bitter taste. He spat out more of the mush and rubbed the cuts with it. Fiver and Silverweed looked at each other, confused. After a few more minutes of healing, the two bucks escorted Fiver and Silverweed out of the burrow to go meet the general.

* * *

Back where Hazel and the others were, Bigwig was still sleeping, Spartina beside him. Bigwig was dreaming about Spartina, a happy dream where the two of them had come across a garden of flayrah, with no smell of dogs, cats, or humans anywhere near. They were just beginning to eat, lounging side by side in the warm grass, when his dream was interrupted. He felt a nudge on his face.

"Bigwig...wake up," Spartina whispered in Bigwig's ear, nudging him on the face again with her head. Bigwig opened one eye, catching a glimpse of Spartina. He smiled and opened both eyes, sitting on his tail, his back up against the wall. Bigwig was still a bit bleary, not yet fully awake. Spartina noticed this when Bigwig started to talk.

"Hello, beautiful, hee hee. This is the best flayrah I've had in years and I'm glad I can share it with you," Bigwig said dreamily, unaware that Spartina was able to hear him. Spartina let out a little giggle and then Bigwig woke up fully. An embarrassed look crossed his face, at which Spartina giggled.

"Did I say something funny?" Bigwig questioned, confused by Spartina's giggling.

Spartina calmed down after a few seconds and then answered. "Yes, you did..." she answered fondly. Bigwig stood up on his haunches, and Spartina scooted closer to him.

"What did I say? Oh..." Bigwig remembered, his face blushing. Spartina giggled even more.

"What were you dreaming about?" she asked. Bigwig thought to himself for a few moments.

"Uh... erm... you..." Bigwig stuttered, trying to sound clear. Spartina stared into Bigwig's eyes lovingly, and then she smiled. She leaned in and gave Bigwig a lick on the cheek, which made Bigwig gasp and move his paw to the cheek, then he smiled. He purred at the feeling.

"Heat of the moment, eh?" Bigwig asked, returning the lick to her cheek. Spartina smiled back.

"No... just contentment, that's all," Spartina replied happily, her ears perking up. Bigwig touched his paws with hers and then they nuzzled each other on the nose for a few seconds before they were interrupted by laughter.

They separated and looked forward, seeing Blackberry, Campion, and Dandelion around the corner.

"Aww, you two look so happy," Blackberry said happily, her ears perked up.

Bigwig smiled slightly, but it was short-lived, when Dandelion started to tease. "Who knew Spartina could turn our big, tough Owsla Captain into an overgrown kit? If he goes any softer, we'll need to get a new Captain."

Bigwig scowled. "I'll show you who's soft when I have you out there doing hrair somersaults and punches, Dandelion."

"Aww, come on, Dandelion, you'll be teased when you get your mate," Spartina said playfully, making Bigwig smile a bit.

Campion moved to the middle of the group, nodding to Bigwig.

"Congratulations, Bigwig. I am happy for you, especially after our scare yesterday," Campion said sincerely, his ears perking up. Blackberry leaned her head on Campion's shoulder.

"I am happy for you too, Campion. You've got the doe of great wits and healing skills with you," Bigwig answered with a nod of acknowledgement.

"Yes, it is good," Campion sighed contentedly, looking at Blackberry lovingly for a few moments. "I think we all need one another, and we're all lucky to have one another's skills. That's how a warren works. I used to think it was all about those in power using those under them, but now I realize every one of our skills is necessary for our survival."

Blackberry gave Campion a small, light lick on the cheek, which Campion returned. Campion then smiled, with Blackberry smiling back.

"Where's Hazel and Primrose? I haven't seen them yet," Bigwig asked, looking around. Spartina sighed contently, making everyone's ears go up in alert.

"There they are," Spartina answered, then the others clambered beside her to the burrow entrance. Hazel and Primrose were above ground in the forest in an open area. Hazel had his paws rested on Primrose's shoulders, while Primrose had her paws in the same place. Their foreheads were touching each other's, making the moment very cute. They could hear a few words faintly.

"I love you, Primrose. Wherever our journey takes us, I'm sure I can face it if you're there with me," Hazel murmured.

Primrose smiled deeply in contentment.

"I love you too, Hazel. We don't have to do anything alone. I don't want to leave you either," Primrose replied happily, her ears perked up, as were Hazel's. The two then started to nuzzle each other's forehead, Hazel purring loudly, making Bigwig laugh a little too loud, which interrupted the moment. When the laughing got louder and louder from the rest of the group, they stopped nuzzling. They parted their foreheads, still keeping their paws on each other's shoulders.

"Who's laughing over there?" Hazel asked, looking away from Primrose. In answer, Bigwig and the others popped out of the burrow, making Hazel relax. The group was still laughing.

"This is a very cute sight to see, you two in love, that is. It seems everyone has turned into a hopeless romantic this morning," Dandelion laughed, making the others laugh, as well. Hazel took his paws off Primrose's shoulders, with Primrose doing the same.

"It is a cute sight indeed," Blackberry sighed happily.

Hazel smiled at his friends, but then his expression sobered. "I think yesterday showed us all how easily we can lose one another. We need to enjoy what we have while we have it."

Hazel and Primrose hopped up to the group. "Alright, Let's take a quick silflay and then we need to be off again," Hazel ordered. Everybody found a spot to eat some grass and then the group was off, continuing the journey to find Fiver and Silverweed.

* * *

At Shadowmist, the two seer friends were officially being escorted by two large bucks to meet the general. After hopping a few minutes, they entered a large burrow where there were two spots to sit. They saw a much bigger buck, probably the size of Woundwort, standing on the other side.

"Take a seat, anywhere you like," the large buck ordered, and Fiver and Silverweed obeyed. After they sat down, the large buck spoke again.

"Hello, my name is Styrax. What are your names?" Styrax asked.

Fiver and Silverweed exchanged looks and thought for a few seconds. "I'm Fiver, and he's Silverweed," Fiver answered, pointing his paw at Silverweed, who looked scared of talking to the leader of the enemy warren.

"Ahh, nice to meet you, Fiver and Silverweed," Styrax said, nodding to them both. "So, where are you from?"

Silverweed and Fiver looked at each other nervously and then Fiver gave Styrax an apologetic look. "May we have a minute?" He hopped back to the entrance to the room with Fiver and ducked down.

"What do we do? If we tell him where our warren is, he'll find and defeat Watership Down!" Silverweed whispered. "And Styrax! It was his rabbits that killed Holly and Strawberry."

Fiver thought to himself for a few moments before speaking again.

"Don't worry. Yes, we won't be able to beat them with just our Owsla, so we need to train, use Shadowmist's Owsla's moves against them, maybe even teach ourselves new moves they don't know. Bigwig will be able to handle it," Fiver reassured his friend in a whisper, relieving Silverweed a bit, then they up hopped back.

"I'm sorry for our delay," Fiver said politely. "You see, we were just attacked by an enemy warren, Efrafa, which we defeated, so we want to be cautious in warrens we don't know much about, especially since our leader isn't with us. We come from a very prosperous warren, Watership Down," Fiver answered Styrax, looking directly into his eyes.

Styrax reclined further back and inquired further. "Who lives with you?" Shadowmist's leader asked, but Fiver already had an answer for this.

"I'd rather not say," Fiver replied.

Styrax frowned a little, but he calmed down within a few seconds. "I respect that, I really do," Styrax stated, then he bowed down slightly, surprising Fiver.

"So, what brings you here?" Styrax asked.

"We were looking for some does, since almost my whole warren has a mate except for us," Silverweed answered, as Styrax's breathing deepened.

"Ahh, so that's the reason. We have many does here," Styrax stated, making Fiver and Silverweed nod.

"But...we are runts," Fiver protested, raise his eyebrows.

"Don't worry, there are some does here that are runts," Styrax reassured, making the two bucks nod again in seeming agreement.

"Also, one more question. I heard one of the bucks that escorted us say the words five, seven, and ten, and those bucks also were grabbing and picking up things with their paws instead of their teeth. Why is that?" Fiver questioned. Styrax's eyebrow lifted in curiosity then went back down.

"Oh, it's our treatment: kryptontrianite," Styrax stated, making Fiver even more confused.

"Kryptontrianite? What do you mean by kryptontrianite?" Silverweed asked, the two bucks getting increasingly confused. Styrax chuckled softly before answering their question.

"I was wandering around and I found this purple liquid on the ground." Styrax paused and then held up a bottle of the purple liquid. It was bright, thick, and smooth. "I drank this mysterious liquid and I became smarter, stronger, and received many adaptations, opposable paw digits being one of them." He paused again, showing Fiver and Silverweed the adaptation. "I then managed to find out how to produce more of this liquid, a few herbs, some grapes, and then water, along with some special alterations of my own. I fed this liquid to everybody in my warren and this is where we are now. The liquid also gives us the ability to count beyond four, all the way to a hundred," he went on.

"Do you both agree to undergo this kryptontrianite treatment?" he then asked.

Fiver and Silverweed both exchanged a look and nodded to each other. They had to, as it would be a start toward becoming better fighters. If they were going to have any chance of defeating the warren, they needed to be as smart and strong as these rabbits.

"We both agree. Just do it," Fiver decided. Styrax prepared the purple liquid. He then poured out the thick, smooth liquid into two bowl made of leaves. He slid the two bowls to Fiver and Silverweed, who picked them up.

"Drink until it's all gone. You will feel a little burst of strong pain, but it will go away after a few seconds," Styrax ordered.

Fiver took the first drink of the liquid. As he was drinking, he could feel the thick liquid run down his throat. The taste was rather bitter, but sweet at the same time. When he done drinking, a strong pain seared through his entire body. He immediately screamed and fell to the ground. Silverweed looked shocked, but Styrax just nodded. The pain was unbearable; it felt to Fiver like someone biting his backend, someone punching his head, and someone stabbing him in the haunches. After a few more seconds, the pain finally eased. Fiver felt much, much better.

"Well? Did it work?" Styrax asked.

Fiver managed to pick things up with his paws, and then he was able to count up to one hundred. "Yes, it does work." he said in amazement with a smile, with Styrax smiling back. "It's your turn, Silverweed. Are you ready?" Fiver asked, as Silverweed breathed heavily in anxiety.

"I'm ready," Silverweed answered, then he drunk the liquid. He had the same episode as Fiver, but he managed to get through the pain. He could then grab things with his paws and count up to one hundred.

"Where do we go to find does?" Fiver asked, still amazed by the change in his paws.

Styrax chuckled and then explained. "Sadly, the bucks and does need to be separated for most of the day, and the only time they are not separated is during silflay. You both can leave now," Styrax dismissed them. Fiver and Silverweed sighed at first but then got relieved.

"Alright, goodbye! Thank you for the kryptontrianite. I'm sure we'll cross paths again," Fiver exclaimed as he and Silverweed waved goodbye, and then they climbed out of the burrow. Styrax chuckled then and laughed unpleasantly for a few minutes. A mean smile crossed his face.

"And when you do cross my path, it will be your last. Hee hee hee," Styrax laughed viciously, smiling at his plan, which was to kill them both the next full moon, the next day.

* * *

Kryptontrianite Pronunciation: (Crip-tin-tri-a-nite)

* * *

**_Next time on Heart of Lordship:_**

"Moss?" Fiver asked, very shocked that Moss was there. Silverweed was too shocked to even speak.

"Help me... please," Moss pleaded urgently, struggling to speak. He was bound to the walls of the dark tunnel. His paws were clasped down by metal chains, his haunches were tied together, and his neck was the most concerning problem. There was a shining wire around his neck, slowly suffocating him. It was a sight of sheer horror. Fiver knew he had to do something, or he would suffer the loss of an ally right in front of him.

"Dear Frith! How did you get in this mess?" Fiver cried, very scared and shocked for Moss. Moss's teeth clenched together, trying to bear the pain of the wire around his neck.

"Sty...rax," Moss uttered, still struggling.


	8. More Devastation

Chapter 8: More Devastation

Fiver and Silverweed had just left the leader's burrow, off to find some does for themselves. As they were hopping their way to the doe's area, they were engaged in a deep conversation.

"Something doesn't feel right about that Styrax character," Silverweed inferred, his ears perked up in curiosity. Fiver was panting, trying to keep up with Silverweed, who was going a little too fast. Silverweed paused, allowing his friend to catch up.

"Yes, something just doesn't feel right. I mean, he was a gentle rabbit to us, and he treated us well. Perhaps he seemed a little odd, but not threatening or dangerous. I would never have guessed that his rabbits murdered Holly and Strawberry," Fiver answered, still panting heavily.

Silverweed's eyes widened. "I know. What do we do, escape when we get the chance, or should we stay and risk our lives?" he asked. They stopped in the entrance to a small side tunnel to sit and talk.

Fiver sighed deeply and thought. "I think we should escape when we get the chance, at nightfall. We'll get our does and anyone else we want to bring with us and then we escape. It is to be hoped that we won't encounter Styrax or any of his Owsla," Fiver explained, clearing his throat. Silverweed nodded a yes and was about to speak when a low, whispering voice reached their ears.

"Someone help me...help me, please," the voice said grimly. Fiver was a little scared, and Silverweed's ears started to quiver in fear. Fiver started to nuzzle Silverweed's ears with his head, trying to calm him the best that he could. He stopped nuzzling when Silverweed started to speak.

"What's that voice? Where is it coming from?" Silverweed asked. His ears were still quivering, Fiver put his ear to a large, circular boulder and listened.

"Help me..." the voice said again, and Fiver's eyes widened in fear. Fiver jerked his ear away from the boulder.

"It's coming from behind that boulder. Silverweed, help me push it aside," Fiver stated. Silverweed jumped to the same side of the boulder that Fiver was on. They then started to push. The only thing they could hear was themselves grunting from pushing the heavy boulder, but they just could not get the boulder to move. Fiver and Silverweed gave up finally. They just crouched down, leaning against the boulder. Their backs slid down the boulder as d until they landed on their tails on the ground.

"What do we do? We can't get the boulder to move; it's just too heavy!" Fiver grumbled, his breathing heavy from exhaustion. Silverweed was also panting, trying to regain at least a little bit of energy. His chest hurt from pushing the boulder.

"Hold on, I've got one more idea. Fiver, you get on top of the boulder and try to roll on it, while I push. Now go!" Silverweed ordered. Fiver got up. and hopped on top of the large boulder and then Silverweed returned to the side.

"Start walking forward in place when I push, alright?" Silverweed asked, and Fiver nodded in understanding. Silverweed began to push the boulder with all the strength he had, and Fiver started walking on top of the boulder. The boulder started to move increasingly farther. Indeed, the plan worked.

The boulder rolled out of the way, and Fiver jumped off. "We did it!" Fiver exclaimed, hopping up and down, as Silverweed did the same. They gave each other a high five with their new paws and then hopped into the tunnel. It was a long, dark tunnel, going on and on. After minutes had passed, they found the source of the noise. Fiver was totally shocked to see who was there.

"Moss?" Fiver asked, very shocked that Moss was there. Silverweed was too shocked to even speak.

"Help me... please," Moss pleaded urgently, struggling to speak. He was bound to the walls of the dark tunnel. His paws were clasped down by metal chains, his haunches were tied together, and his neck was the most concerning problem. There was a shining wire around his neck, slowly suffocating him. It was a sight of sheer horror. Fiver knew he had to do something, or he would suffer the loss of an ally right in front of him.

"Dear Frith! How did you get in this mess?" Fiver cried, very scared and shocked for Moss. Moss's teeth clenched together, trying to bear the pain of the wire around his neck.

"Sty...rax." Moss uttered, still struggling.

"Styrax! I knew it! Come on, Silverweed, help me free him!" Fiver cried. Silverweed nodded and then they rushed over to Moss. They first went to work on the shining wire, since it was the most critical problem. They tried and tried to pull the wire and snap it, but they couldn't snap it, and soon they were exhausted. Fiver gave up, trying to think of what else to do. He then remembered what happened when Bigwig was caught in the shining wire. He remembered the peg, digging out the peg, and then the wire loosening, allowing the victim to slide out of the snare easily.

"Silverweed! The peg! Find the peg, then dig it out, now!" Fiver yelled, trying to locate the peg. Moss was still slowly suffocating. He was about to die, then Fiver found the peg.

"Come on, Silverweed! Dig it out!" Fiver cried urgently as he started digging the fastest he ever dug, Silverweed helping him. After a few seconds, they finally dug the peg out, and Moss was free. Fiver leapt over to Moss, lifting the snare off his neck and then listened. He heard nothing, no breathing; he was dead. Fiver lifted his paw, slapped him in the face to try to wake him up, but to no avail. Fiver then fell to his haunches, crying.

"We were too late! We're too late! Noooooooo! Moss! Why, Frith! Why! Our friend has joined the thousand!" Fiver cried as tears rolled down his muzzle. Silverweed pulled the chains off of Moss and then they laid him there, lifeless. Silverweed went over to Fiver and nuzzled against him. They huddled together for a long while.

"It just hurts so much that we lost another friend, and we couldn't save him!" Fiver cried, which was muffled because his head was in Silverweed's chest. Silverweed shook Moss's still form in another effort to wake him, but they were about to leave when they heard breathing. Fiver looked behind him and then pure joy spread across his face.

"Moss! You're alive!" Fiver cried, running up to Moss, Silverweed beside him. When they reached Moss, he was shaking but relieved that he was still alive. They tackled Moss to the ground in a giant hug, and they held each other for a long while. Afterwards, they all got up and dusted themselves off.

"Thank you, Fiver and Silverweed. You saved my life. I cannot thank anyone more than this," Moss said happily, making Fiver nudge him in a friendly manner.

"By the way, Vervain is still alive," Fiver stated, surprising Moss We think he's going to play some sort of role in all this. We might need to try to befriend him so he can help us against Styrax," Fiver continued.

Moss thought for a few moments. "Yes, I believe he deserves a second chance," Moss replied honestly.

"Um...Moss? Can I ask you a favor?" Fiver asked, very nervous at this point about asking a member of the Owsla for a favor.

"Sure, what is it?" Moss answered, turning his head to look at Fiver. Fiver let out a sigh before he asked his favor.

"If we ever do befriend Vervain, can you help defend me when we try to convince Hazel that Vervain is an ally?" Fiver asked, hoping that Moss would help him. Moss thought, and he realized he'd never really talked to Fiver. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure he wanted to help, but at the same time he didn't want to break Fiver's heart and leave him heartbroken. He decided that he needed to help Fiver, especially if it would help defeat Styrax, the rabbit who had tried to kill him.

"Sure, I'll help. I'll do my best to defend you," Moss replied, smiling at Fiver, who smiled back. Fiver was happy to hear those words, as he and Silverweed now had someone they could trust.

"Thank you, Moss," Fiver addressed him.

"How did you get here in the first place? I thought you and Heather were in your own warren. What happened?" Silverweed asked.

Moss's ears drooped in sadness. A tear slid down his muzzle, but Fiver wiped it away with his paw.

"I'll tell you over silflay, but where do we go? It's been a long time since I've eaten and I feel weak from being strangled by that cord," Moss answered, as Fiver and Silverweed helped him up.

"I think I know. Follow me. But we don't want anyone to see you, so stay quiet," Silverweed said, and the three rabbits crept out of the dark run and outside. They followed Silverweed for a few minutes before they came across a flayrah pile. There was some flayrah they could recognize: apples, carrots, lettuces, and cabbages, and some flayrah they didn't recognize: watermelons, bananas, and oranges. Fiver examined the flayrah for a bit before he decided what to take, but before he did, he saw three Owsla members standing on a hillock above them.

"This flayrah is for Owsla members only," one of them said angrily. Fiver and Silverweed crouched down and backed away, while Moss behind a pile of the flayrah.

"We're sorry, but we just got here and we're very hungry," said Fiver. "We've spoken to your leader, Styrax, and he has allowed us to stay here." Silverweed nodded in agreement.

"Well, you can't have this food, runt," one of the Owsla bucks said rudely, shoving his face toward Fiver. "You and your friend can go find grass if you're hungry."

"Don't you dare talk to my friends like that! ARRRGHH! Just give us the flayrah, you Embleer Hraka!" Moss yelled, suddenly bursting from behind the flayrah pile. Catching the Owsla members by surprise, he slapped one of the bucks across the face with his claws, cutting his cheek. Silverweed and Fiver gasped. The buck that Moss had scratched put his paw to his face, blood dampening claws. The buck's eyes bulged in anger and he stood over Moss, holding his neck, tightening his grip every second.

"How...how...how dare you hurt a member of the Owsla! Now you die for your behavior!" the buck cried. Moss's eyes widened when he realized he'd acted rashly and was now in trouble. Silverweed and Fiver knew it was sure it would be the end of Moss.

But then, Fiver held his ground, and leaping forward, he stomped his right leg onto the buck's left leg, crushing his paw into the dirt. The buck let out a painful cry, and then he dropped Moss onto the ground, grabbing his own paw and moaning in pain from the force Fiver had kicked his leg. Fiver then took the opportunity and kicked the buck again in the stomach, sending him flying into a stone wall, knocking the wind out of him. Silverweed and Moss cheered in admiration at how Fiver had gone to Moss's rescue.

The other two bucks backed away shocked that one of their best members of the Owsla had been defeated by a runt. But then, the two bucks charged at Fiver, their claws extended. When they got close enough, Fiver, Silverweed, and Moss all jumped at the two bucks, as the bucks charged at them again. Fiver did a spin kick that Bigwig had taught him, hurting both of the bucks. As they fell back, stunned, Silverweed and Moss gave them swift kicks to the side, and they fell to the ground. The three friends stood above them, about to finish them when the bucks surrendered.

"Take anything you want, just take it!" the bucks moaned in pain. Fiver backed away from them, then collapsed from exhaustion, Silverweed and Moss holding him up. They took their flayrah: a watermelon, banana, orange, and a few carrots with their paws since they could grab things now. They then bolted away from the three Owsla members, dashing back into the dark run. Each rabbit crouched down and they started to eat. Fiver broke the watermelon in half, and then the three rabbits stared at the strange fruit.

"Who wants the first taste?" Fiver asked. No one volunteered, so he stuck his paw into the center of the watermelon, grabbing a little piece. It was very juicy from squishing it, but he put the piece in his mouth and chewed it for a couple seconds. Fiver was delighted by the delicious taste and waggled his tail happily. He then started eating more and more. Silverweed and Moss also liked the watermelon: all three were drawn to the taste. After a while, they tried a banana. It took them multiple tries to figure out how to eat it, the same with the orange, but they liked the new flayrah. After a few minutes of eating, they started to talk.

"So, Moss. What happened, how did you get here? I thought you were living a peaceful life in your own warren with Heather," Fiver asked as he cocked his head to one side. Moss stopped eating, shedding a tear. Silverweed wiped the tear away, only for Moss to produce more tears.

He sniffed and got ahold of himself. "Alright, it was a peaceful day. The day, always young, the rabbits, as always, were laughing. I was in a burrow with Heather, though we hadn't agreed to be each other's mate yet. I was talking to her...and then..." Moss paused as his sadness overwhelmed him, causing more tears to roll down his muzzle.

"Then what?" Silverweed asked, wondering about the rest of the story. Moss took a deep breath and spoke again.

"Then an army came," Moss answered, before he burst into tears, crying and crying. Silverweed and Fiver nuzzled him, trying to comfort him like he was a kitten. Moss sniffed and then spoke again. "The army broke into my burrow and killed Heather, and they brought me here as a prisoner. My Owsla did their best to try to defend us, but we couldn't fight them. They were too strong for us. We couldn't defeat them, so my whole warren was destroyed. They wanted me to join their Owsla, but I refused after what they'd done to Heather and my warren, so they left me to die," Moss finished, still crying. Silverweed and Fiver held Moss tightly for a while before letting go. Fiver got up and started to plan.

"We need to get out of here soon, after we attacked those Owsla. They know you're still alive now and that we're helping you. As soon as Styrax hears about this, I have a feeling he's going to be angry. Let's see if we can find an exit that leads away from the warren. let's go now; it's Ni-Frith right now and we may be able to sneak off while everyone else is at silflay!" Fiver cried, as Silverweed and Moss nodded their heads. All three then left the dark run, still on the look for any mates.

As Fiver was running, he thought something.

_"I hope you're alright, Hazel. I hope you're alright, and we're coming for you when we find our mates. I promise I will get back home, I promise that. I will not break that promise. Now Frith, please guide me through this promise: help me and my friends get back home to my brother. Please help me. Tell Hazel that I'm alright, and I'm coming for him, and please convince him that Vervain can be a friend to everyone if we can find and befriend him, despite the fact that he worked for the enemy, hated Campion, and bullied and tormented Primrose. Just help me on this journey to home,"_ Fiver thought silently, hoping Hazel was alive and out there looking for him and his friends. Fiver looked up at the sun as he kept running.

* * *

**_Next Time on Heart of Lordship:_**

Back where Fiver and Silverweed were, they were off in Shadowmist, looking for Vervain. It was evening, and it was dark outside. They knew it would probably not be easy to persuade him to be allies, and Fiver thought he might even work for Styrax. As they were running around the warren looking, they stopped to catch a breath.

"Where is that Vervain?" Fiver asked, panting, tired of looking. Silverweed was panting as well, as was Moss. They both shrugged, making Fiver a bit annoyed that neither of his friends seemed as concerned as he was.

They were about to find a place to rest when they saw a mysterious figure running toward them. Fiver was a bit frightened at first, but then he relaxed. Some light fell across the figure, making Fiver and the others gasp. It was Vervain. They had finally found him, but that is was only the beginning. They still had to work to befriend Vervain. They hopped up to Vervain, and then Moss spoke.

"Vervain, you're here?" Moss asked, surprised that they had actually found Vervain.


	9. Escape: Part 1

Chapter 9: Escape: Part 1

It was Ni-frith, and Hazel and the group were still on their quest to find Fiver and Silverweed. Every few minutes, Hazel and the others would call out Fiver's name, but it was in vain. Hazel kept feeling increasingly sad and worried as every minute passed by. He couldn't stop thinking about what might have happened to Fiver.

"What if Fiver and Silverweed died? Then what is the whole point of this journey?" Hazel thought to himself, trying to hold in his sadness. He didn't want to worry the rest of the group more than they already were; as the leader, he felt it was his duty to encourage the others. But as he continued to imagine all the terrible things that could have happened to his friends and brother, he started to quiver. Although he tried to hide it, Primrose, who was hopping right beside him, noticed and nuzzled his shoulder.

"I know how it feels, but we'll pull through, Hazel," Primrose encouraged. Hazel felt a bit better to know his beautiful mate was there for him. They hopped along, close side by side, and Primrose distracted him from his dark thoughts by pointing out the various plants they passed and telling him stories from when she was a kit.

By evening, they had made five more miles. They reached the drop where Fiver and Silverweed had been cornered, only to see the two enemy bucks' corpses on the ground below. Hazel and Bigwig both jumped back from the cliff's edge in shock and fear.

"What happened here?" Hazel asked, both curious and frightened by the two corpses below. Bigwig scratched his mane as Blackberry hopped up beside Hazel.

"It looks like they fell, but no rabbit would be stupid enough to just hop off a cliff like this," Blackberry answered, her ears perking up in curiosity, trying to think, as Bigwig and Campion sniffed at the ground.

"Hazel..." Bigwig began, sighing as he spoke, "I think you should look at this." Hazel hopped over, followed by Primrose and Blackberry. Bigwig and Campion were sniffing around a number of paw prints in the dust, some of which were smeared in blood. More blood stained the ground nearby.

"I'm guessing some of these paw prints belong to those two big bucks," Bigwig surmised. "But there's more than two sets. Look at these two smaller prints. It looks to me like they were backed up against the cliff and the big bucks were coming after them. After that, there was some sort of scuffle, and obviously, the two big bucks fell. Do you think it could have been Fiver and Silverweed?"

Hazel sniffed at the prints but there was no scent except the stale tang of the blood. "It could have been. But in that case, where were Holly and Strawberry?"

Campion shook his head. "Whoever they were, they were bleeding a lot. I don't know how far they could have made it, even if they managed to push their attackers off the cliff."

Hazel's heart sank a little. A part of him hoped it had been Fiver and Silverweed, so that it meant they were on the right trail, but he couldn't bear the thought that all that blood had come from his brother and his friend. He shivered at the thought, and both Bigwig and Primrose gave him comforting nudges to the shoulder. But Hazel had another question.

"Which direction would the smaller rabbits have gone?" Hazel asked. Spartina and Primrose began sniffing around the edge of the clearing and found more scuff marks and partial tracks left in the dirt, along with smears of dried blood.

"These are their tracks, leading down. They are about two days old, but the trail is clear enough; they were bleeding pretty heavily," Spartina stated as she examined a paw print in the ground.

Hazel nodded, relieved that the group had at least found a trail to follow.

"Alright, let's descend the drop and then we'll find a place to rest for the night. We'll follow the trail in the morning," Hazel ordered, and everyone followed him down the steep hillside.

In Shadowmist warren, Fiver, Silverweed, and Moss were still sneaking through the tunnels, looking for a run that would lead out and away, while keeping their eyes open for any does. They remembered Styrax saying that the does were kept separate, but they had not seen any rabbits, does or bucks, since they had attacked the Owsla.

They did find a burrow with a stock of flayrah, so they each grabbed a small watermelon and some carrots and huddled in a corner of the dark burrow to eat. All three loved the watermelon; it was now everyone's favorite flayrah.

"What do you look for in a doe, Fiver?" Silverweed asked as they scooped out the juicy watermelon.

Fiver chuckled before he spoke. "Basically a combination of Primrose, Blackberry, and Spartina. A doe with intelligence, beauty, and strength. That's a mate I'd want," Fiver answered. Then, to lighten the mood, he added, "Because I would only want a doe that has the same superior qualities as me." He smiled, and Silverweed and Moss laughed.

After a few minutes, they crept out of the dark burrow and sneaked down another longer run that led upwards. Thirty feet or so along it however, Moss, who was leading the way, stopped abruptly. "There's someone up ahead. I can hear talking."

They all crouched against the wall before they realized the voices belonged to does. Exchanging hopeful glances, they cautiously hopped forward until they could see into the large burrow up ahead. There were many does, probably twenty to thirty of them. Fiver and the others peeked around the opening of the burrow to see which doe they wanted. Fiver was immediately drawn to one of the does, a beautiful one, with creamy yellow fur almost like Primrose's, but just a little bit darker. The only exception to her color was that the tip of her tail was white. She was about the same size as Fiver, maybe a little bit smaller.

"Have you found a doe yet?" Silverweed, who was next to Fiver, asked in a whisper. Fiver smiled slightly in response.

"That one, right over there," Fiver answered softly, pointing his paw to the doe he'd seen. Silverweed and Moss had found their does, as well. Silverweed's doe was a light blue color like Blackberry and Moss's doe was white with gray paws. All three were grouped together at one end of the burrow, along with another doe with yellow fur like Fiver's doe, except a little brighter. One of the four does looked at the burrow entrance and Fiver crouched down immediately.

"Duck down! I think someone's coming!" Fiver whispered urgently and the other two ducked down to find cover behind the entrance. They hoped the does wouldn't catch them.

After a few minutes, they thought the doe had ignored them, but they were wrong. She had exited through another entrance to the does' burrow and crept into the run behind Fiver, along with the three other does. She gave Fiver a tap on the shoulder, which made Fiver turn around, his fur standing up in fear. Fiver was frightened that all four does were there and if they wanted to call the alarm, he and his friends would be trapped. The only thing Fiver and the group could do was run, and that's what they did. They bolted back down the dark run they'd just climbed. After a few minutes, they reached another burrow and dove inside, hoping they were safe. They were wrong; a few moments later, the does hopped inside the burrow, and Fiver freaked out. The three bucks slowly backed farther and farther into the dark burrow, until they couldn't back up any further.

"I surrender! Just don't hurt us! Please don't give us away to the Owsla," Fiver quickly let out, but his doe hushed him by putting her paw over Fiver's mouth. The does giggled a bit.

"Don't worry, we're not going to hurt you!" one of the does exclaimed softly, while the other does laughed. After a few seconds, they calmed down.

"You might as well introduce yourselves?" Silverweed asked, confused. The does let out small giggles before they introduced themselves, gathering around the bucks to do so. Fiver, Moss, and Silverweed blushed at the attention from the four pretty does.

"Alright, we'll do that. I'm Laura," the cream yellow doe stated. "This is Vivianne," she continued, pointing to the light blue doe. "This is Charlotte." Laura pointed to the white doe. "And this is Scarlet," she finished, pointing to the bright yellow doe.

All the does smiled and tittered as Laura introduced them. Then Laura looked keenly at the three bucks. "We're not going to give you away to the Owsla. You're not from around here, are you?"

"No, we're not," Fiver admitted. " I'm Fiver, and these are my friends Silverweed and Moss." he stated, pointing to his friends, then everyone shook paws with each other, during which time Fiver noted that all four does had also undergone the kryptontrianite treatment. Afterwards, however, Laura embarrassed Fiver even more.

"Why did you spy on us anyway? I assume you know bucks aren't supposed to be in these runs," Laura asked, causing Fiver to blush harder.

Fiver thought to himself for a few moments before he spoke. He decided it would be best to tell the does the truth about their mission, especially since Laura was the one he had especially liked. He thought that it might be better not to mention their worries about Styrax and Shadowmist yet, however, or what the Black Rabbit had said. "Umm... we originally left our warren for does. This is the first warren we've found, and Styrax invited us to visit the does, so we were looking at which does we wanted, and all the does we wanted are right in front of us..." Fiver stuttered through his words.

The does murmured to each other in surprise.

"Really?" Vivianne asked, her ears perked up in curiosity.

Fiver let out a small smile show before answering. "Yes, really."

"Silverweed and I are from Watership Down, a very prosperous warren. We've just defeated an enemy warren, and now we live in peace, with my older brother, Hazel, our chief rabbit, and many other friends," Fiver answered, looking up at Laura and feeling a warm excitement inside as he talked to the pretty doe.

"How come you didn't get a doe along with your brother?" she asked.

Fiver shifted uncomfortably. "I am a runt," he said with a deep sigh.

Laura's expression didn't change though. "I understand all about that." She paused with a wry smile.

"I'm a runt as well," Laura finished, making Fiver smile. He'd finally met another runt; he wasn't the only one anymore.

Fiver felt pressure behind his eyes at the memory of their journey, but he forced himself to remain calm. "Silverweed and I were on a journey to a different warren, but we were ambushed by two enemy Owsla members on our way, so we ran away in fear, and we got here," Fiver explained, as Laura's ears perked up.

"What's it like here in Shadowmist?" Silverweed asked, probing to see what information they could learn about the warren and about Styrax. Laura gave the three bucks a sidelong glance and the three other does shifted, suddenly not quite as cheerful. Instead of answering Silverweed's question, the cream yellow doe glanced at Fiver again.

"You've met Styrax. What did you think of him?"

Feeling the shift in the does' mood, Fiver replied cautiously. "He seemed nice. He offered us the kryptontrianite treatment, and Silverweed and I accepted it, as you can see. But…I don't know…the Owsla seem a little rough. We don't know how long we're going to want to stay before we head back to Watership Down."

"Do Styrax and the Owlsa know that you're here?" Laura asked intensely.

Fiver frowned. "Not as far as I know…?"

Laura put her paw against his mouth. She glanced around before speaking softly. "I'd get going as soon as you can then. The Owsla…Styrax…they don't like rabbits leaving. Once they've given you the kryptontrianite treatment, they expect you to stay here forever. And Styrax has powers, strange powers; you don't want to cross him. If you want to leave, you're going to have to do it very soon or not at all. I bet they're already looking for you. I saw several members of the Owsla just a little while earlier poking around in the does' burrow, and I bet they were searching for you."

"I saw that new rabbit poking around, too. The one the Owsla brought in a few days ago," Scarlet put in.

Fiver's ears perked up. "What new rabbit?" he asked.

"A big one, probably from another Owsla. He was all dirty and scruffy like he'd been wandering in the wild for a while," said Scarlet. "They drug him in while we were all out on silflay a few days ago. I heard them say his name was Vervain, and I think they want him to take the kryptontrianite and join Shadowmist's Owsla."

Fiver, Silverweed, and Moss exchanged meaningful glances. "We know him," Fiver told Laura. "Do you have any idea where we could find him? We think he might be of help to us."

Laura pointed back down the dark run. "They make prisoners stay further down. There's guards by the entrances."

Fiver nodded decisively. "Silverweed, Moss, and I will go back down there to look for him." He turned to Laura. "Would you and your friends be interested in escaping with us?"

The does all gasped in surprise. Laura's ears perked up then drooped. "It's very brutal here; you are browbeaten into here and then there is no escape," Laura said sadly. "If you and your friends could get us out, that would be wonderful." Fiver comforted her by patting her on the back in a friendly manner.

"We'll come back to find you once we find Vervain," Fiver reassured her. He nodded to his friends. "Come on. It sounds like Vervain's as much a prisoner as Styrax would like us to be."

A few minutes later, back where Fiver and Silverweed were, they were off in Shadowmist, looking for Vervain. It was evening, and it was dark outside. They knew it would probably not be easy to persuade him to be allies, and Fiver thought he might even work for Styrax. As they were running around the warren looking, they stopped to catch a breath.

"Where is that Vervain?" Fiver asked, panting, tired of looking. Silverweed was panting as well, as was Moss. They both shrugged, making Fiver a bit annoyed that neither of his friends seemed as concerned as he was.

They were about to find a place to rest when they saw a mysterious figure running toward them. Fiver was a bit frightened at first, but then he relaxed. Some light fell across the figure, making Fiver and the others gasp. It was Vervain. They had finally found him, but that was only the beginning. They still had to work to befriend Vervain. They hopped up to Vervain, and then Moss spoke.

"Vervain, you're here?" Moss asked, surprised that they had actually found Vervain.

In response, Vervain put his paw over Moss's mouth, shushing him. "Shhh, I cannot let anyone else know I'm here. Get to a private burrow!" Vervain whispered angrily. Fiver and Silverweed were surprised, however, they did what Vervain ordered, and then the four rabbits slipped into a burrow large enough to hold them all. Vervain rolled a boulder to block the exit. He then calmed down and focused on the group.

"Vervain, Silverweed was right. You are still alive," Fiver said, looking at Vervain, who was sitting with his tail to the boulder. Everyone else sat on the soft dirt of the dark burrow.

Vervain glared at Fiver then thrust an accusing paw at him. "You're from that Watership Down warren! What in Frith's name are you doing here? Yes, I'm alive, but no thanks to any of you."

Silverweed came to his friend's defense.

"Listen, we're here to help you, you know. We can all help each other."

Vervain snarled at them. "I don't need your help."

"That's not what the does said," Moss cut in. "They said they saw you dragged in here by the Owsla and that you're being kept prisoner. I was being held prisoner too until recently, and Styrax doesn't want Fiver or Silverweed to leave either. I think we can all help the others escape."

Vervain's snarl softened to a scowl. "Which does told you this?"

"It was the yellow one, Scarlet, and her three friends," Fiver answered. "They want to escape Shadowmist with us."

Vervain thought for a moment. "Alright, maybe we could work together."

"Why are you here? Why didn't you go back to Efrafa?" Moss asked, a bit confused.

Vervain's scowl returned. "Well, with Woundwort dead, it wasn't like there was much to go back to at Efrafa. I wandered around for a while, but I didn't go here; I was forced here. One of Styrax's patrols took me away, a very strong on as well. They held me prisoner here, tried to get me to serve that supercilious chief rabbit of theirs, and tried to make me take some strange serum. I refused, so they've been keeping me down here. I haven't been outside in days. When I try to go up to the entrances, they chase me back down here." The big rabbit let out a snarl of frustration.

"Have you ever wanted to live with us on Watership Down?" Fiver asked, expecting a no from Vervain. He received the reply he expected.

Vervain gave him a contemptuous look.

"Just because I'm agreeing to help get us all out of here doesn't mean I want to live in your silly little warren. Your Chief Rabbit is nothing like Woundwort, and I have no desire to spend the rest of my life sitting around under a tree doing nothing."

Fiver bristled. "So, you'd rather go back to bullying rabbits that aren't as strong as you, like you used to do in Efrafa, eh?"

Moss hopped between them. "Alright, alright. So, should we get back to the does and figure out how to get out of here or not?"

"Welcome to the team, Vervain." Silverweed said.

"Alright, let's get back to the does," Vervain answered, then all four shoved at the boulder so that it rolled back away from the entrance. They crept down the dark runs again, Vervain leading the way. Since he'd been trapped down in the runs for several days now, he knew his way around better than the others. They soon found their way back to the burrow where they'd left Laura and the other does. All four does were still there, huddled in a corner talking, when the four bucks entered.

Laura looked up sharply as they hopped in, then she relaxed. "You did it," she said with a smile, addressing Fiver.

Fiver nodded. "Yes, now that we're all here, we need to figure out how to escape."

"I think I know how to escape here..." Vervain smirked, surprising the others, who scratched their heads in confusion. "This run leads up to the area where the does usually silflay. I tried to get out once this way, but there's three guards who clawed at me until I had to run back down here. But eight of us together will easily be able to take down three guards. I suggest we wait until evening silflay and then we go up with all the other does. Laura and the does should go out in the front with the other does, and we can come out last. When we emerge, you four does start screaming that you see a fox or a hawk or something. That should send all the other does into a panic. The guards will have their paws full trying to stop the panic, and we can make our break for it. If we have to fight any Owsla, I'm sure we can take them down. We should run for the woods to the east."

"But, there is still one more question to be asked, and it is a very important one," Silverweed started as he stepped in, as the does gave him a confused looks. "Will you does come with us, to Watership Down, and live a much better life of freedom?" Silverweed asked, his ears perking up, waiting for an answer.

The does huddled into a circle for a few seconds and then they faced Silverweed and the others. "Yes, we will," Laura answered happily, her ears perked up in excitement. Fiver and the others were immediately happy. They slowly exited the burrow, Fiver leading the escape.

* * *

_**Next Time on Heart Of Lordship:**_

"Well, look what we have here. Fiver and his friends," Styrax smirked. Hazel stared, a bit confused and more than a little alarmed at the sudden appearance of the bigger rabbit. Fiver quickly backed away in fear as Styrax thrust his face toward Fiver's.

"Ugh… you again… why don't you quit? What do you want from us?" Fiver whimpered, as Styrax pulled his face away.

"I think you know what I want," Styrax snarled. "I offered you hospitality and the privilege of using my serum, and you repaid it by attacking my Owsla and leaving my warren. When you accepted, I was under the impression that you understood you were part of Shadowmist now."

"We didn't want to stay in Shadowmist. It's not our fault your warren is stupid," Silverweed defended, and Styrax gasped in outrage.

"How dare you insult my warren, you little runt. It is the best in prosperity! You took two prisoners and four does with you! You're thieves as well as filthy hlessil!" Styrax roared, as Hazel and Bigwig flexed their claws in defense.

Fiver then did something he would regret. He bit Styrax's nose, and the chief rabbit screamed in pain as he lifted his paws to his muzzle, holding it to stop the bleeding.

"Attack that brute! Kill him!" Styrax cried, which was muffled because he was blocking his nose.


	10. Escape: Part 2

Chapter 10: Escape: Part 2

**A/N: My beta reader suggested I revise the previous chapter, and I've done that. I've changed Chapter 9 quite a bit, so you probably want to go back and read it again before you read Chapter 10. Hope you like it!**

Fiver, Silverweed, Moss, Vervain, and the four does they had met were in their dark burrow preparing their plan. It was almost time for evening silflay, and Fiver was terrified.

"What if Styrax finds out? What if we're captured?" Fiver asked nervously, his ears quivering. Silverweed huddled over next to him and nuzzled his ears to calm him.

"Don't worry, Fiver, I guarantee if he sees us, we can easily outrun him," Silverweed reassured, relieving Fiver a little. Moss placed a comforting paw on his shoulder. Vervain then stamped his paw on the dirt; everyone turned their heads to face him.

"Alright, everybody, are we ready?" Vervain asked, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Ready as ever," Moss answered, taking a deep breath. They first had to deal with the three Owsla at the exit, so Moss and Vervain carefully sneaked up the long run, being very careful not to be seen. When they got where the guards could see them, their backs were turned. Vervain immediately flicked his claws, as Moss did the same.

"Now, Moss!" Vervain cried as both he and Moss charged at the three Owsla, who were caught off guard. Moss went for the left guard, slashing his throat, while Vervain went for the right guard, clawing him in the chest. They both spin-kicked the middle guard, and all three fell down in defeat, blood slowly seeping out of their cuts. They died immediately. Moss and Vervain quickly nodded their heads to each other and then darted back down the run to tell the others. Laura jumped when she saw the two bucks enter.

"Alright, everyone! The three dirty Owsla are gone! Laura, lead your group to silflay, now!" Vervain ordered, and Laura and the other does nodded. All four went up the long run but Scarlet, who stayed for a couple seconds and went over to Vervain.

"Don't lose hope, Vervain. I'm sure you'll like living on Watership Down with the rest of us once we escape. I'm sure of it. Just hold on to what I said, alright?" Scarlet promised, standing up on her haunches. She grabbed Vervain's free paw and held it for a few seconds before putting his paw onto his heart.

"I promise," Vervain answered, letting out a small smile as he flicked his ears. Scarlet smiled back and then let go of his paw before hopping out of the long run to join the other does for silflay. Fiver chuckled as he, Moss, and Silverweed hopped up beside Vervain.

"Looks like someone has an interest in you," Fiver teased gently. Vervain scowled a little at the smaller rabbit but held his irritation in.

"Yes, it does. I will try to keep my word to her, I'll try to keep peace with you and your chief rabbit. That is, as long as you help me bring down that embleer rabbit, Styrax, and this warren. I'll work with you as long as I get the satisfaction of seeing Shadowmist pulled down on their smug heads. And after all, you did save me from becoming a prisoner forever, right?" Vervain asked, as Fiver smiled.

"Yes, we did," Fiver replied solemnly, breathing out deeply. After a few more seconds, they huddled together and conversed about their plan. They went up the long run, exiting silently, to find Laura and the other does faraway. They spotted them, nibbling at a patch of clover. Fiver gestured to Laura, who spotted them, to signal that they were ready to escape.

"Alright, Charlotte, Scarlet, Vivianne, they're ready," Laura told them, as Vivianne finished chewing her bits of clover.

"Alright, let's go," Vivianne suggested, and Charlotte and the other does nodded their heads as they followed Laura to an area almost out of the warren. They crouched down and quivered to pretend that there was a fox coming. They immediately screamed and cried the loudest they could, causing all the does and guards to turn their heads in fear and surprise as Laura and her three other companions came running up to one of the guards.

"Everyone, there's a fox coming! There's a fox coming! Run for your lives, every rabbit for himself!" Charlotte cried, and everyone else started to scream. The guards tried to calm everyone down the best that they could, but it was futile. The other does ran about in a panic, trying to shove their way down the run entrance, almost knocking over the guards as they did so. Fiver and the group ran up to Laura in the middle of the chaos.

"Now! Make a break for it! Don't stop running, and don't look back! Just keep running!" Moss cried, and the eight companions bolted east. Their plan wouldn't work out as they planned it to be, however. After a few minutes of hopping east, Styrax and three other guards jumped out from the bushes right in front of them.

"Don't you dare try to escape, not after I was so kind as to give you the kryptontrianite. I'm afraid I will have to have you all killed," Styrax said with mock remorse, sneering as he flicked his claws, ready to strike. Fiver jumped into action, ramming down two of the guards, while Moss and Vervain kicked the last one. Then all eight of the entire group charged at Styrax, ramming him down to the ground, so that his head slammed into a hard root of a tree. The eight then continued bolting east, with Styrax and seven more guards on their tails.

"I want them all captured! Do not lose them!" Styrax cried as he sprinted. Laura and the others panicked; they couldn't outrun them in a straight line. They needed some kind of diversion to throw Styrax off track. They found the perfect diversion: a broken bridge.

"Just run across the bridge! It's going to break any minute! Run!" Fiver yelled, and the others obeyed his command. All eight ran across the bridge, which collapsed and crumbled behind them. When Styrax and his patrol got there, it was already broken.

"Catch me now, you slowpokes!" Silverweed and Fiver teased, wiggling their tails at Styrax, which infuriated Styrax. Fiver and the others continued to hop east, forgetting about Styrax, certain he wouldn't find a way across the stream any time soon. But Styrax found an alternate trail to catch up to them.

By nightfall, Fiver and his group had hopped a mile. They crouched down in a nearby bush, waiting for Styrax to pass by and to drive him away, guessing he'd probably found a way around the stream and got back on their trail by this time. After a few more minutes, they heard sounds of padding feet.

"They're coming! Duck down!" Fiver whispered, as everyone ducked down deeper into the bush. Silverweed peeked out of one of the openings in the bush, and then he was completely relieved rather than frightened. He saw Hazel, Bigwig, and the other friends hop into his view.

"Fiver! It's Hazel and the others!" Silverweed cried, as Fiver's face brightened in contentment. Hazel and the others jumped a bit at the voice coming from the bush. But then Fiver and Silverweed jumped out of the bush, Silverweed tackling Bigwig while Fiver tackled Hazel to the ground. Hazel landed on top of Fiver, his face gleeful.

"Fiver! You're alive! I thought I would never see you again!" Hazel cried in relief, as Fiver jumped up and down, excited as well. Hazel then nuzzled his brother, and Fiver nuzzled back. They cuddled with each other for a long while, both happy that they'd been reunited. Primrose and the others watched this reunion from a short distance away.

"Hazel has finally found his brother. He is now restored," Primrose said delightedly as a tear rolled down her muzzle. She then noticed Bigwig being nuzzled by Silverweed.

"And Bigwig found his friend," she finished, and everyone else smiled at the love shown between the two brothers and Bigwig and Silverweed. After a few minutes, they all separated, looking up at Hazel expectantly. Before Bigwig could speak, asking their leader where they should go now, Styrax and his patrol of his seven other Owsla showed up.

"Well, look what we have here. Fiver and his friends," Styrax smirked. Hazel stared, a bit confused and more than a little alarmed at the sudden appearance of the bigger rabbit. Fiver quickly backed away in fear as Styrax thrust his face toward Fiver's.

"Ugh… you again… why don't you quit? What do you want from us?" Fiver whimpered, as Styrax pulled his face away.

"I think you know what I want," Styrax snarled. "I offered you hospitality and the privilege of using my serum, and you repaid it by attacking my Owsla and leaving my warren. When you accepted, I was under the impression that you understood you were part of Shadowmist now."

"We didn't want to stay in Shadowmist. It's not our fault your warren is stupid," Silverweed defended, and Styrax gasped in outrage.

"How dare you insult my warren, you little runt. It is the best in prosperity! You took two prisoners and four does with you! You're thieves as well as filthy hlessil!" Styrax roared, as Hazel and Bigwig flexed their claws in defense.

Fiver then did something he would regret. He bit Styrax's nose, and the chief rabbit screamed in pain as he lifted his paws to his muzzle, holding it to stop the bleeding.

"Attack that brute! Kill him!" Styrax cried, which was muffled because he was blocking his nose. The seven other Owsla charged at Hazel and the group, who were already holding their ground. Hazel quickly batted away one of the Owsla, while Bigwig bit one of their ears. Fiver and Silverweed kicked two Owsla, knocking them into a tree. Campion was busy violently scratching one of them, who fell dead after a few more seconds. Spartina was also busy clawing at an Owsla member, who also fell dead when her claws slashed his throat.

However, after a few more minutes of fighting, Styrax and the remaining Owsla had all of Hazel and his Owsla pinned to the ground, and Silverweed as well. Fiver had to do something; he couldn't live with all his friends gone. He quickly examined his surroundings and noticed a large, sharp piece of wood. The edges were very thin and spear-like. Fiver quickly picked it up with his new paws and charged the enemy Owsla.

"No one hurts my friends!" Fiver cried out as he batted away one of the Owsla so hard in the head that the impact alone killed it. He quickly pulled up Bigwig, who was slightly injured. Bigwig gaped in surprise at Fiver's sudden ferocity, but then he winked at Fiver who started to fight the remaining Owsla. Fiver batted the other Owsla away from his friends and helped them all up. After a few minutes, Styrax was the only one left. He backed away slowly, very hurt from a slash down his flank from Fiver's wooden stake. Fiver kicked Styrax in the side, and the enemy rabbit chief fell in exhaustion.

"You give up now, huh? Huh? Now take your embleer self and get out of here before I finish you!" Fiver cried, holding the piece of wood and getting ready to hit one more time. Styrax quickly got up and fled the scene in fear. Fiver smiled, and then Hazel and Bigwig came up to Fiver and Silverweed, nuzzling them both.

"You two saved us! Your fighting was really fierce!" Bigwig exclaimed amazed. "I really didn't know you had that in you, Fiver!" Fiver chuckled softly to himself, though his own ferocity had surprised him. "We need to train you two up, won't we?" Bigwig finished, as Hazel stepped in.

"You two look different. How did you pick up that piece of wood? How did you fight like that?" Hazel asked in wonderment.

"It is a serum treatment Silverweed and I both went under when we were held captive. I'll tell you more about it when we get back," Fiver reassured, causing Hazel's confusion to fade for the moment. "We both have brought back companions," Fiver then said, running over to the bush that they had been hiding in and pulling out Moss. Campion was the first to react. He hopped up to Moss and nuzzled his face.

"Moss! You're alive! I thought you wouldn't come back to us!" Campion said delightedly as he flicked his ears. They both separated and then Fiver pulled out the four does and introduced them to Hazel and the others.

Fiver paused before returning to the bush again and twitched nervously. "Hazel," he said, "we brought back one more companion. I know you're not going to like it, but Silverweed and I can explain."

When he pulled out Vervain, everyone gasped in surprise.

"Vervain! You're still alive?" Hazel cried, and Vervain nodded. The former Owsla member of Efrafa let out a growl before he spoke.

"Yes, I'm still alive. I was rescued by Fiver and his friends when I was being held prisoner deep underground in Styrax's warren. I want revenge on Styrax and I assume that you do, too. Maybe I can help you, and you may be able to help me," Vervain answered, but Bigwig stepped in and interrupted him.

"Well, you cannot come with us. There's no way you're staying at Watership Down, since you are an enemy to us as much as Styrax is!" Bigwig snapped, and Fiver's ears drooped at the anger in the big rabbit's voice.

"You kidnapped and bullied me!" Primrose added angrily. Fiver felt increasingly sad, but Moss then stepped in and defended Fiver and Vervain.

"Listen, Fiver did not have the heart to leave him behind to suffer. He was suffering already, and we did not need to give him anymore hurt right now," Moss argued. Hazel looked at Bigwig worriedly.

"But he'll cause us more suffering here if he stays," Primrose shouted. "He's a bully. He was a bully in Efrafa and he'll be a bully here in Watership Down."

"Fine, if you don't want my help, it's your loss, not mine," Vervain answered spitefully.

"No!" Fiver shouted, hopping in front of Vervain with Moss beside him. "Listen, Vervain really can help us. He wants to defeat Styrax and that's what we need to do, too. I can explain it all Hazel if you just agree to let him stay."

Bigwig snorted in contempt. "If this Styrax is our new enemy, I don't see how we're going to start defeating him by bringing our old enemies into our own warren."

Moss growled, lifting his ears and crouching with determination at Fiver's side. "But that's just it. Efrafa was your old enemy, but now Woundwort's defeated and you have a new enemy. A common enemy with myself and Vervain. Styrax held both of us prisoner and mistreated us. He's got a lot of rabbits and big ones. You're going to need all the help you can get if you're going to defeat him."

Fiver nodded. "And Vervain certainly knows how to fight."

"I still don't like it," Primrose said, shaking her head. "I don't trust him."

Fiver went over to Primrose and spoke up.

"I did not have the heart to abandon Vervain in that place, not even an old enemy. Primrose, you're suffering yourself by holding that grief with Vervain. It is in the past, and you're here now. Keep holding of that grief won't get us anywhere. Please, listen to me. Just let that grief go away, let it go. I know Vervain has been mean to you, but that doesn't mean you will still suffer because of him. You don't need to trust him fully, not yet, but you need to trust me. I know that we need him, " Fiver said.

Primrose looked for a moment like she might argue back, but then she nodded slowly. "You're right, Fiver. I can't hold on to grudges. I do trust you.

"Can Vervain please stay with us?" Fiver asked, turning to Hazel, who was frowning in concentration. Hazel and Bigwig both conversed with each other for a few minutes before they had a response.

Bigwig faced Fiver. "When we get back to Watership Down, he can stay with us for the meantime, but one of our Owsla will stay with him at all times, to make sure he doesn't bully any of the does or kits, get into any trouble, or betray us. If he can prove to us that he can behave like a decent rabbit, he can stay as long as he needs. That's if he can help us against the rotten Styrax fellow, that is. But any sign of trouble from him and he's out on his own. Understand?"

"I understand," Fiver answered. Vervain glowered, but nodded and made no signs of disagreeing further. Some of the other Watership Down rabbits shifted a little uncomfortably, but none of them protested Bigwig and Hazel's decision either.

Hazel had been looking around the group when another question suddenly occurred to him. "Where's Holly and Strawberry?" he asked, suddenly nervous.

Fiver and Silverweed then looked at each other worriedly. Silverweed then got courage, but Fiver started to cry. Hazel hopped beside him as Silverweed started to speak.

"They both died," Silverweed started, and everyone gasped. "We were ambushed by two enemy bucks when we found some flayrah in an open area. They were killed, and we couldn't stop it. But it wasn't just any two bucks; they were from Shadowmist, Styrax's warren. Styrax had Strawberry and Holly murdered and he tried to kill us," he finished brokenly, as Hazel comforted him as well.

"It hurts so much, that we couldn't prevent two deaths!" Fiver yelled, tears already rolling down his face. Hazel tried to wipe them away but more just kept coming. Fiver buried his head into Hazel's chest and cried. They held each other for a few minutes before separating.

"I know, Fiver. I know," Hazel reassured.

Fiver stopped crying and looked up at him. "At least, we are all still alive," he said. "And we still have a chance at avenging them. They won't have died in vain, we'll all make sure of that." Hazel smiled and nodded with determination.

Everyone then huddled together for a while before moving back. Laura and her three friends stood beside Fiver, Moss, Silverweed, and Vervain. Hazel was busy talking to Primrose a few feet from the group.

"I'm happy that my brother is still alive; I thought he was dead," Hazel said, still feeling overwhelmed. Primrose rubbed his back with her chin.

"I told you he was still alive," Primrose said happily, as she nuzzled Hazel's cheek for a few seconds, before Hazel ordered everyone to start heading back, the moon shining brightly above them.


	11. Connections and Secrets Revealed

Chapter 11: Connections and Secrets Revealed

Hazel was very excited that his brother and Silverweed were safe and with him again. He felt as if there was now more life in him. As for Holly and Strawberry, Fiver and Silverweed led Hazel and the others to their corpses, and everyone said their words and prayers in front of the grave, though Fiver's speech was the most memorable. He crouched down before he spoke.

"Strawberry and Holly have joined the thousand, for my friends have stopped running. Death is the last chapter in time, but the first chapter in eternity. A thousand words won't bring them back; I know because I've tried. Neither will a million tears; I know because I cried. What we can do though is honor their memories. Each happiness of yesterday is a memory for tomorrow. Always on my mind; forever in my heart. The life of the dead is placed in the heart of the living," Fiver finished as he shed a tear, and everyone nuzzled Fiver comfortingly.

A few days passed before Hazel and the others were finally back at Watership Down. Right when they were hopping up the hill, Hazel's three kits immediately tackled him down, Gilia and Mallow on top of Hazel's back, and Snowdrop on the ground tugging at one of Hazel's ears with her mouth.

"Father, you're back! We missed you!" the three kits cried out in joy as they snuggled with their father, who purred very loudly. After a few minutes of cuddling, the kits bounded up to their mother and snuggled with her for a few moments. All of the rabbits went underground to the gathering place, and Hazel hopped on top of the high rock, trying to quiet everyone down. After a few seconds, everyone had fixed their eyes on Hazel.

"Alright everybody, I would like to thank everyone that came on that journey with me for rescuing Fiver and Silverweed, and also for giving me support along the way," Hazel thanked, as everyone thumped their feet. "Now, will Fiver and Silverweed come up and share their stories on their journeys?" Hazel asked.

Fiver and Silverweed found their way through the crowd of rabbits and got on top of the high rock. Fiver examined his audience nervously, but Bigwig was the first one to ask a question to open the conversation.

"So... what happened to Holly and Strawberry?" Bigwig asked.

Fiver started to quiver, but Silverweed comforted him by nuzzling his ears for a couple seconds before he started to speak.

"It was a clear, bright evening when we came across a large open area. There was some flayrah right in front of us, lying on the ground. So we all went over to take a quick silflay before we were going to be off again," Silverweed started as he closed his eyes, trying to remember what happened at that encounter.

"Then what happened?" Campion asked.

"My memory is a little foggy, but I can remember. Two large bucks came behind Holly and Strawberry, standing right above them. We were too frozen in fear to react, as were Holly and Strawberry. Then, with one swipe of their claws, the bucks killed our friends." Silverweed paused, taking a second to compose himself. There were murmurs of both shock and grief throughout the burrow.

"How did you guys escape?" Spartina asked as she cocked her head to one side. Silverweed was about to speak when Fiver gave him a gesture that he wanted to speak instead.

"We got pinned to the ground by them, but we spat into their eyes, and we ran. We came across a steep drop, that cliff, and they caught up to us. Silverweed managed to get rid of them; he threw them down the cliff, and their heads were cracked," Fiver explained. Bigwig snorted in surprise, actually impressed that they'd managed to fight off the bucks.

"How did you end up in the other warren though?" Hazel asked, still confused.

"Shadowmist, it is. After a few days of hopping, we were exhausted and we were unaware that we collapsed in front of an enemy patrol. I think they took us into Shadowmist because next thing I knew, I'm in a burrow with Silverweed and we were getting our wounds all fixed up, and they told us we needed to meet Styrax, " Fiver stated. Hazel's nodded in understanding.

"And who was that Styrax?" Dandelion asked.

"He is the leader of Shadowmist. We had to talk to him, but we managed to let out little information. He told us about a serum treatment they were using called kryptontrianite." Silverweed paused, since everyone looked confused.

"What in Frith's name are you talking about?" Hawkbit questioned.

"He said the serum makes us able to grab things with our paws, basically our paws turning into hands, and we can count beyond four." Fiver paused as he took a breath. "So we took the serum, and it was like spending three minutes in the Shadowlands," Fiver said, and Hazel frowned.

"How so?" Hazel asked.

"First, right after you take it, a very strong pain runs through your entire body; it feels like someone biting your backend, stabbing your haunches, and hitting your head multiple times simultaneously," Silverweed answered, and everyone laughed a little nervously at the fact. "So after we took the serum, Styrax told us where to find some does, and then we were outside again," Silverweed finished.

"How do you make the serum?" Bigwig asked.

"Sadly, I do not know. He said a few herbs, grapes, water, and then an alteration he didn't mention," Fiver answered sadly, his ears drooping slightly.

"How did you find Moss and Vervain?" Primrose asked, glancing over nervously to where Vervain was crouching still in the entrance to the burrow with Moss standing nearby.

"As we were on our way, we heard a faint voice coming from behind a boulder. After Silverweed and I got it out of the way, Moss was there. His paws were clasped down, and there was a snare around his neck. We managed to free him, and then we were off to silflay on flayrah that we found, but three Owsla members stopped us. Moss acted a little rashly by starting a fight, but we managed to subdue them before they fled in fear," Fiver explained, then waited for another question.

"How did you meet Vervain?" Blackberry then asked.

"Basically the same situation as Moss. At first, he was reluctant and refused to help, but after a few more minutes of arguing, he finally agreed," Silverweed answered, then he turned to let Fiver speak again.

"How did you get the does?" Spartina asked. Fiver blushed lightly before he spoke.

"So, apparently we were in the does-only runs..." Fiver paused as he blushed lightly again, as everyone giggled softly to themselves at the thought of shy little Fiver surrounded by does. "After we were spying for a few seconds, we got caught by a doe. After we were chased back down the runs, they found us and then we were just talking for a few minutes," Fiver finished, taking a deep breath.

"How did you all escape?" Hazel asked.

"We had a plan where the does would scream that there was a fox, and then all the guards got in a panic, which bought us enough time to break for it," Silverweed explained, taking another deep breath. Hazel and the others then thumped their feet and cheered.

Ever since Fiver had mentioned the serum though, Dandelion had been looking thoughtful. Now he hopped up to the rock. "That serum reminds me of El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit's crystal," Dandelion said as he got on top of the high rock.

All the rabbits murmured and gathered around, interested to hear what story Dandelion had in mind. Fiver frowned as he recalled his dream about the Black Rabbit, but he waited patiently for Dandelion to tell his story.

"So there was a time when the rain stopped falling and food became terribly hard to find, and El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle were wandering miles and miles from their warren in search of food. They wandered farther and farther, and little did they know it, but they wandered to the very edge of the Black Rabbit's country itself. They were utterly exhausted and were about to give up. But then they found a very small burrow, so they agreed to rest for the night. But the burrow went deeper and deeper, and when they crawled to the very bottom, they saw a shining crystal. The crystal shone with a great rainbow of colors.

"Rabscuttle! Look! It's a crystal!' El-ahrairah cried, and Rabscuttle examined the crystal from various angles. He then stood up on his haunches.

"'Let's take it; maybe it can be of some use, Rabscuttle suggested, and El-ahrairah helped him retrieve the crystal. They then were off.

"El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle hopped along again, still searching for food, but now they had the crystal. They both felt stronger, and soon El-ahrairah smelled food and water. And just then they hopped into a clearing with a small pool of water. They drank from the pool greedily then looked around the clearing.

"On the far side was a grape vine with large purple grapes. El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle waggled their ears in delight, for they had not seen so much flayrah for a long time. They eagerly ate many of the grapes and also spent some time nibbling at the plants and herbs that surrounded the pool.

"But then the crystal glowed strangely where it was lying between them. Rabscuttle picked it up and then immediately collapsed as if in great pain. But soon he stood back up and when he did so, El-ahrairah saw that he looked stronger and healthier and his paws were like hands so that he could pick up the crystal. Then El-ahrairah touched the crystal and the same thing happened.

"This crystal has great powers,' said El-ahrairah. 'We should take it back to our warren and perhaps it can help our friends.' They gathered numerous grapes and herbs from the clearing in their new paws and hurried back to their warren. There, they mixed the herbs and grapes with water and touched the potion with the crystal. They gave it to all of their friends, who became stronger and more powerful. El-ahrairah also learned that if he touched a dead plant or animal with the crystal, it would come back to life. With this power, he kept his warren well-fed until the drought passed, and his warren prospered better than it ever had before. El-ahrairah thought this was good for his people and he was delighted with the crystal's powers, but he forgot one thing.

"One day, however, El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle woke up to hear complete silence in their warren, leaving them frightened. They crept out of their burrows to find corpses strewn throughout the warren. They examined the corpses of almost everyone, constantly weeping for each corpse they identified.

"Oh Frith, what has happened?' El-ahrairah cried out in grief and fear.

"This was not Frith's doing; it was mine,' said a cold voice behind them.

"El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle spun around to find a rabbit standing behind them, a rabbit with pitch-black fur. Both El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle felt their fur stand on end.

"Black Rabbit! What has happened to my friends? They have all died!' El-ahrairah cried, very distraught.

The Black Rabbit's eyes were hard. "You, El-ahrairah, should have known better than to take my crystal and use it as you have. You have cursed life itself!' the Black Rabbit said coldly. "Your friends have destroyed innocent nature! Your friends have corrupted it!" he then said, as he shimmered, about to disappear.

"What do I do now?' El-ahrairah asked, confused and frightened.

"You will not die, but you will have to give up the power," the Black Rabbit said, disappearing into the mist.

After Dandelion had finished telling the story, a strange feeling crept over Fiver. He wondered whether the crystal was the alteration and the final ingredient needed to make the kryptontrianite serum. He didn't want to tell Hazel yet, since he'd just returned. But then Hazel climbed on top of the high rock again.

"Well told, Dandelion! That was an interesting story and we will give more thought to it later. But for now, as you all might know, tomorrow marks the start of mating season! For now, let us celebrate the safe return of our two friends and his new companions, as well as celebrating the new life Watership Down will soon have," Hazel cried, and everybody cheered and thumped their feet enthusiastically.

Hawkbit, Pipkin, and some of the other rabbits who had stayed behind had raided a nearby farm and brought back a pile of flayrah. The rabbits gathered around eagerly to enjoy the good food, meet the new does and say hello to Moss, congratulate Fiver and Silverweed, and celebrate the starting of mating season.

Vervain, who had been crouching in the burrow entrance during the whole meeting, watched the other rabbits celebrating. No one spoke to him or invited him to join the celebration. He scowled, but his ears drooped. He snorted and said to himself, "What do I care about their little parties anyway? As long as they can fight Styrax, good." He turned and started to go towards the burrow that Hazel has given him.

After only a few hops though, he heard someone following him. He turned around with a snarl, only to find Scarlet in the run behind him.

She frowned. "Where are you going?"

"To my burrow," he answered brusquely.

"Oh." Scarlet's ears drooped slightly. "Don't you want to come eat some flayrah?"

Vervain shrugged dismissively. "I'd rather be by myself; it's what I'm used to. And they don't want me around anyway."

Scarlet scuffed her front paws on the floor. "What if I brought some flayrah and we ate it together? Would you be OK with that? And I like having you around."

Vervain felt his cheeks blush, but he hid his embarrassment with a scowl. "If you want to do that, fine. I don't care if you come along."

After a few hours, all the flayrah was gone, and Hazel dismissed everyone. Bigwig lay next to Spartina on one side of the burrow, but then Gilia and Snowdrop bounded up to them. Bigwig was busy nuzzling Spartina on the nose, but he stopped and paid attention to the two kits.

"Uncle Bigwig? When will you and Spartina have kittens?" both kits asked, jumping up on Bigwig and Spartina. Bigwig blushed very heavily, which made Spartina giggle.

"Oh! Uh... uh... we'll think about that one, alright?" Bigwig stuttered, clearly embarrassed at the question. The two kits giggled before they hopped away, playing Tail Tag with Mallow and Pipkin, who had appeared at the burrow entrance to herd the little ones away.

"Come on, Bigwig, let's get some rest. After all, you'll have to decide the answer to Gilia and Snowdrop's question soon," Spartina suggested with a wink. Bigwig blushed again, but then he nodded purposefully, as he got up, Spartina doing the same. They hopped back to their burrow, where they slowly drifted away to sleep.

Hazel was in his burrow, along with Primrose and his three kits. He wanted Fiver to sleep with him since he hadn't seen his brother in a while and Fiver was still shaky and bothered about what had happened during his journey. Fiver laid next to his brother.

"Hazel?" Fiver asked, and Hazel turned his head toward his brother.

"Yes, brother?" Hazel answered.

Fiver coughed before he spoke. "I'm worried. You know Styrax isn't just going to let us get away with this. I just hope we can defeat him and Shadowmist. But I'm afraid we won't be able to," Fiver said brokenly, tears already soaking in his eyes. "We've already lost Holly and Strawberry. What if we lose even more rabbits?"

Hazel started to stroke Fiver's back, running his paw through the soft fur on his spine. "Don't worry, Brother. With you and me, anything is possible. We defeated Woundwort and we'll defeat Styrax," Hazel answered with a smile. Fiver smiled back briefly. But then, he snuggled closer to his brother, and Hazel draped a paw over Fiver, as the smaller rabbit shivered.

"These Shadowmist rabbits are strong and aggressive," he said. "Even more than the Efrafa rabbits. Whatever that serum has done to them, it's made them stronger. And I'm afraid of that Styrax. There's something weird about him that I don't like at all. I don't want him or his rabbits to hurt any more of my friends. And if he attacks Watership Down, it will be my fault."

Hazel nuzzled Fiver's ears comfortingly. "We've got some good fighters, too. You and Silverweed made it out of Shadowmist safely, and you took some does and two prisoners with you. And we've got what neither Woundwort nor Styrax has: friends! We know how to work together, instead of letting some bully order us around. We love one another and so we'll look out for each other, no matter what. If Styrax comes, we'll give him the fight of his life."

"I love you, Hazel. I always feel safer with you here with me," Fiver said delightedly, closing his eyes in content.

Hazel smiled as his mind was filled with happiness. He almost never heard those three words from his quiet brother. "I love you too, Fiver. You are my brother, so I will always look out for you. I love you, little brother," Hazel answered, sighing in contentment. Fiver then yawned, and soon he fell asleep, his head rested on Hazel's chest. Hazel purred slightly as he nuzzled his brother's ear before he laid his neck on his brother's head, falling asleep as well.

Primrose had watched the entire action scene, keeping one eye open and smiling at the love of the two brothers. She then fell asleep.


End file.
